Hop the `Verse

Just know everytime I say it, I mean it... and stop stealing my lines.

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:00:40 GMT

IC Time: September 02, 2518

===========[Eavesdown Docks]==================[Eavesdown - Persephone]========
Surrounded by slums on the edges of the city, the docks are chaotic and
bustling. Ships are haphazardly lined up side by side, and vendor's stalls and
carts are interspersed between them. Dust kicked up by ground traffic and
engine exhausts billows through the air, coating near anything that manages to
remain still long enough with a film of grime.

Single voices vie to be heard over the cacophany of crowds from across the
'Verse, and are lost altogether amongst the grind of machinery and roaring of
engines. Exotic scents mingle with that of the unwashed and sweaty, while
there's an undercurrent of less easily defined odors in the air. Unless you're
looking for clean and shiny, there's a little something for everyone to be
found here on Eavesdown's docks.
==============================================================================

Ashlyn
Standing only five foot one and barely clearing a hundred pounds, Ashlyn sketches a rather unintimidating figure. She looks barely out of her teens and could be no older than her very early twenties. Round blue eyes the color of deep water gaze out from a heart-shaped face with the deeply tanned and freckled tint of someone who loves the sun. Her hands have suffered from a lifetime of constant abuse, and one looking closely might see fine white scars and old burns on her fingers and palms. Graphite, ink, and dyes trapped beneath her skin make impromptu tattoos up to her elbows. Another, less innocent looking scar adorns the right side of her face, a pale crescent moon neatly bisecting her eyebrow.

Her thick brown hair, only a few shades darker than her tanned skin, falls midway down her back, shot through with fine braids wrapped in colorful twine and hung with glass and plastic beads that click softly when she moves her head. Another, somewhat thicker, braid falls over her left shoulder, also wrapped through with string and beads. These haphazard decorations give her hair an overall slightly disheveled look.

A light pink shirt with a dragonfly emblazoned across the front, the Chinese symbol 'fly' screened below it's outstretched wings, fits snugly beneath Ashlyn's white-trimmed blue hooded jacket. The shirt ends just at her navel, revealing a two inch band of paler skin and a round white scar in her left side. Highly stylized angel's wings are printed on the back of her jacket, partially obscured by the white faux fur lining the jacket's hood. Black cargo pants with pockets and loops running down both legs all the way to the cuffs fall over worn brown boots with heavy treads. A cloth belt is secured about her waist, and a tan holster hangs about her hips. A thin necklace made of woven black, brown, and tan leather cord and tied to a thick red glass bead at her collar hangs about her neck, and two rings adorn her left ring finger, one a simple gold band, the other gold and rose and set with a black diamond.

Bishop
The man you are looking at has rather simplistic features save for a few. The first of which is the oddish purple highlights in his mussed up hair. Blue eyes look out upon the world from an otherwise relatively unnoteworthy face. Small dimples hint at the corners of his mouths and a scruff of a beard or lack of shaving align his jaw.

Currently, he is dressed in rather casual looking clothing. First is the shirt that he is wearing. A sleeveless shirt that looks more like it should be an undershirt. White in color it looks relatively clean although a bit well worn. This is not the sole article of clothing he wears however. Over this shirt is another shirt, button up down the front of it which is left unbuttoned. Dark Blue as it's primary color, silver and off-white lines turn the shirt into a plaid design that looks very casual. The shirt is a bit to big for the man to be wearing. It is short sleeved and worn loosely about him causing it to flow with movement. Silver buttons make their way up the shirt and a couple of chest pockets are present but look unused. Upon his legs are a pair of khaki pants of a loose cargo fit hang.

The docks are as busy as they always are, crowded with dockworkers, merchants, and locals, and dotted through with stands selling food of not entirely identifiable origin, and shops selling various cheap wares. Ashlyn adjusts the strap of her bag as she edges through the crowds deeper into the docks. Pulling herself up onto a low crate that sits stoically amidst the rush like a stone in a river, she holds up her hand to shade her eyes. Not far off is the very familiar shape of a firefly, shining dully in the late afternoon sun. A grin spreads across Ashlyn's features. "I do believe that's home up ahead," she says.

Jason, lugging around the baggage that is with them, pauses and tilts his head then frowns a bit, "Are you sure? I mean... I'm sort of concerned about the fact we had to get 'er moved here and someone else flew 'er and what not.."

"I'd know her blindfolded," Ashlyn says, turning back to Bishop, still smiling. She hops down off the crate with a soft 'oof!' and hurries back over to him, taking up her place beside him. "But if it ain't I s'pose we can turn `round an' go right back on vacation again," she ads.

"Hmm, iunno if we want to go on any more vacation. Where did we go again, I don't particularly remember seeing too many sights." Bishop comments before coughing softly and starting to walk towards the ship.

"Well that was kinda the point," Ashlyn says, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek, trying to do it at the same time as moving forward. "Lets go see if the ship's still in one piece, bein' as I know Suji, Lu, an' Del are such troublemakers what without our supervision." Her eyes sparkle a little as she says it, and she giggles slightly.

"Lead the way Captain." Bishop responds still grinning. It's still technically the honeymoon, he can grin. "And if any of our stuff is covered with foam, we're getting revenge.. vicious revenge."

"An' if it ain't, that means that /we/ should cover /their/ stuff in foam," Ashlyn laughs, reaching out to catch his hand in hers. She looks up as they approach the firefly, her eyes casting over the familliar painted compass on the side. "Yep. There's my baby," she notes, sounding very satisfied. She reaches out with her other hand to pat the ship's side, her bag slipping slightly down her arm. "You miss us?" she asks the Compass with a smile.

"Engineers." Bishop comments dryly with still that grin on his lips before patting the ship himself as he moves to board it.

Ashlyn smirks at Bishop as he moves past her, then hurries after him up the ramp, stopping short just as her toes reach the threshold, nearly stumbling over it from the momentum before catching herself. "Waitwaitwait," she says, throwing her arms out first to catch her balance then to keep Bishop from passing her into the ship. "First step onta the ship since we got married." She drops her bag, giving it a little toss so it skids lightly inside then turns to Bishop and holds out her arms so he can pick her up for the obligatory carrying over the threshold.

"You have got to be kidding me." Bishop responds with a shake of his head. Sighing, all good naturedly, he tosses his bags into the ship and moves to pick up Ashlyn. Taking two steps, getting the last one over the threshold, he starts to teeter on the verge of toppling over.

Ashlyn giggles as Bishop picks her up and trows her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. And all is going well until he stumbles. "I ain't /that/ heavy!" she gasps, her arms around him tightening. But she's still giggling even in the face of impending doom.

"You're not that heavy, but I am that weak!" Bishop responds, twirling, thudding his back against a wall and finally setting her down. "There, see? I'm manly ... or something. Sort of."

"You're not that heavy, but I am that weak!" Bishop responds, twirling, thudding his back against a wall and finally setting her down. "There, see? I'm manly ... or something. Sort of."

Ashlyn laughs as she gets her feet under her. "Well, I love ya anyways," she says, lifting up on her toes again to kiss Bishop lightly on the nose, her hands on the bulkhead to either side of him so she can lean forward without losing her balance. "I mean that, too."

Jason pauses and tilts his head, "You remember the first time I told you that?" He asks biting his lower lip as the memories of that time come back to him. "And when I followed it up with that I mean that too?"

Ashlyn nods, still not moving from where she is up on her toes. "I `member both times. The first time, I fell down," she states. She smiles. "I remember every time ya said it, Boa Bai. I always will." She leans close to kiss him again, this time on the lips unless she's stopped.

Oh he stops her.. wait, no he doesn't. But after he kisses her, Jason speaks softly, "Just know every time I say it, I mean it... and stop stealing my lines... because otherwise how am I going to make you fall down each time?"

Ashlyn rests her forehead against his, looking up into his eyes for a moment. "I know that," she says with a smile that can be heard in her voice. "Well, we just got back from a tropical vacation, we're back home, you know what would make this evenin' entirely perfect?" she asks, her grin turning mischievous.

"Short sheeting Lucinda's bed and replacing all of Delilah's personal effects with toothpaste?" Bishop asks in his most innocent tone.

Ashlyn's eyes light up. "Yes!" she says. "An' puttin' garlic powder in the coffee filter! This is why I love you! I bet we can do it b'fore anyone realizes we're back!"

Reaching out to take Ashlyn's hand, Bishop nods, "Let's stash our stuff quickly then go pull the pranks... then we'll act like we just got back and make a big hoopla so they don't suspect us and we turn them on each other." Then, he laughs... evilly.

Ashlyn practically drags Bishop with her as she snags her bag off the floor, laughing somewhat less evilly than him. "What are we gonna do ta Suji, though? It has ta be good! We didn't get him at /all/ in the last prank war!"

"I'm not sure, what do you think he is deserving of?" Bishop asks tilting his head with a smile.

Ashlyn considers as she tries to bound up the stairs, but seeing as she's still anchored to Bishop's hand, that venture fails entirely and she's forced to continue at a reasonable kind of pace. "Lets put his tools in jello molds!" she suggests excitedly. "A dif'rnt flavor fer every one."

"Do we have enough jello?" He asks, pausing and looking at the door, "Cause I can run out and get some if I need to."

Ashlyn stops to think for a moment. "No, real jello won't do. That would take too long ta set. We'll have ta use instant gelatin an' food colorin'. An' throw in some fruit wedges fer effect. Tell ya what, We stash our stuff under the bed, an' you pick up the gelatin an' fruit, while I fill Delilah's room with toothpaste."

Bishop pauses halfway up the stairs, listens, then nods, "Alright. I'll hurry back... ready? Break." Giggling, yes, he giggled, he turns and makes his way back down the stairs to raid the nearest market area.

Ashlyn is giggling, too, as she scoops up their stuff and, laughing the whole time, races to their cabin. Yep. It's good to be home.

Hm, yeah, I think I did see you the other day

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:55:08 GMT

IC Time: August 25

Night is falling slowly on the Eavesdown Docks, though one might not notice at the first casual glance. Shops and stands begin to switch on their respective illuminations one by one, a haphazard collection of colors and brightnesses that ward off the coming twilight for now. The docks are as busy as ever, people hurrying here and there, as varried themselves as the scavenged light sources, and about as oblivious to one another as said inanimate objects. A few weary dock workers scurry out of the way as the hatch of the Compass lowers into the unpaved surface. Ashlyn stiffles a yawn against the inside of her elbow and shakes her head a little, smiling softly to herself as she descends the ramp slowly.

"Come on, this way Frank." A voice is heard amidst the hustle and bustle. Working their way around various crates and ships is an interesting looking pair. They are both relatively young men, at the lastest in their twenties, and one is leaning on the other for support. The one offering the support, dark spiked hair and a smirk on his face who goes by the name of Harrison, is shaking his head. "I can't believe you got this wasted, this early," he mutters to the other. The other is stumbling along side and while he mumbles from time to time, doesn't say much. The two work their way towards the Compass, Harrison trying to keep his footing with Frank leaning on him so much.

Ashlyn laughs to herself as she wanders to the base of the ramp. "Yer the guy from the other day," she notes helpfully as Harrison comes withing view. She idles by a push cart. This time it's not boasting the supposed greatest dog burgers, but something equally suspicious-looking to the discerning palate: eel on a stick. It might even be fresh eel, considering that a twenty gallon tank bolted to one side of the cart contains a seething mass of them. She holds up one finger and the weezened old man on the other side of the cart throws a slimy skewered creature on an open charcoal grill. "Looks like yer friend could use some coffee," she ads with a smile over her shoulder.

Harrison pauses near the lady and rolls his eyes. "A bed more like it. Or maybe just a cab, let him find his own way home," he says, and Frank barely looks up when his head plops down on Harrison's shoulder, who barely manages to keep him upright.

"Hm, yeah, I think I did see you the other day," Harrison continues, squinting at Ashlyn. It's clear that he hasn't been drinking this evening. "When that, uh, reporter lady was here. Say, what did you do with that photo she gave you?"

Ashlyn hooks her thumb back toward the Compass. "Gave it ta Delilah," she says with a smirk, turning back to watch the impaled fish sizzles and pop for a moment. "On that note, if ya see a freckly red-headed woman... I don't eat at these stands." She chuckles and trades the little old man a stained bill for the crispified eel and hops up on one of the many unattended crates littering the Docks. She considers the thing for a moment as if trying to decide where she's expected to start. "She'd have my hide," she says with a wink. "So since I'm seein' you fer a second time, you either live here or you got a ship here," she notes before taking a bite out of the stick-food.

Harrison finds a nice crate to trade Frank for, and the inebriated man slumps over it. Free of his burden, Harrison straightens his t-shirt and jacket. He takes a deep breath, and looks at the other ships in the yard. "A ship, eh?" he says with a shake of his head. "Nopers, I live here, well not too far from here. Work in town, Interchrode, tech support." He looks back at Ashlyn and cocks his head. "What about yourself? Did I hear something about being a Captain?"

Ashlyn gestures back to the firefly behind her again with a smile, twirling the overbalanced bamboo stick between her fingers. "That's my baby," she says. "The Compass. Crew an' I nearly built her up from scrap. My name's Ashlyn Bishop, but most people just call me Ash." She glows a little as she looks back at the ship, in exactly the same way a proud parent might look at their honor student, with the added respect for the fact that if said honor student ever flunks, one might be libel to suffer from explosive decompression and well... die. "An' you an' yer inebriated friend here?" she asks.

"Frank is his name, just a friend from Interchrode. Harrison is mine." He smirks and looks down at Frank, who just laid back and looks completely passed out. "Heh, might jsut leave him here. Serves him right," Harrison mutters, and then looks over at The Compass. "Nice looking ship there, Ms. Bishop," he compliments.

"Now, don't do /that/ ta him," Ashlyn chuckles. "Apt ta wake up with all his personal info sold on the cortex, an' that's if he's lucky." She wipes one hand on her hip and offers it to Harrison. "I refuse ta take the credit. An' it's Mrs. Bishop, actually," she says with another laugh. There is indeed a gold band around her ring finger as well as another silver-colored ring flush against it. She considers the man sleeping on the crate again, taking a bite from the eel. "Maybe I'm just paranoid," she admits around a mouthful of food. "Run inta some pretty bad luck `round these parts, though."

Harrison cracks a smile. "Oh don't worry, his ident is fake anyways," he says and then drops the smile, as though maybe he'd said something he shouldn't. He deftly switched conversation and peers at Ashlyn's ring. "Oh, I'm sorry, 'Mrs' Bishop. Good to see people still finding solace in others." What rubbish he spouts even he doesn't know where it came from.

Ashlyn laughs again, as if it's as natural as drawing breath to her. "Aye. The moment he filled my boots with tapioca, I was hooked." Well, that's a downright odd comment. And not one she offers any explanation on, either. "Can I get you or yer friend a cup a coffee?" she offers, gesturing to another stand that's selling, among some very unpronounceable drinks that presumably contain coffee. "I mean, it don't look like he can drink it, but maybe you can pour it on him?" she jokes, taking the last bite out of the eel and tossing the stick into a trash can as she wanders toward the coffee vendor.

Harrison considers the offer for a moment, picturing boiling coffee all over his friend, and as pleasing as that sounds at the moment, he shakes his head. "No, no, I think we'll be all right," he says and smacks Frank on the cheek. "Oy, wake up!" he says, and then drags him off the crate. Frank appears to have at least enough energy to allow himself to be led around.

Harrison puts an arm around Frank and leans him up against him. "See?" He asks Ashlyn, posing as though he needs her approval. "We'll manage. But I thank you for the offer. Well, Mrs. Bishop, it was a pleasure seeing you again." His first step is something of a struggle, despite what he says, but he tries to smile it off and look confident, though failing to do so.

"Ashlyn, please," she says, aborting her wandering toward the coffee stand. "Ain't no one calls me by my last name if they ain't doin' buisness with me." She turns and takes up her position on the crate again, looking content to watch the night finish falling rather than return to her ship. And darker it is getting, despite the shop's attempts to chase away the gloom with their collections of plundered holliday lights and propane torches. "Well, if yer off then, be well. Don't get mugged," she throws out with a grin. "good seein' you again, too."

Harrison struggles a few more steps then pauses to look back at the captain. He smiles in her direction, and makes a mental note. She might be willing to do business. Will have to track her down again later. "We'll be careful," he calls back and meanders off towards the streets.

...My name is /not/ Shortbert!

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:53:09 GMT

IC Time: August 21

===========[Eavesdown Docks]==================[Eavesdown - Persephone]========
Surrounded by slums on the edges of the city, the docks are chaotic and
bustling. Ships are haphazardly lined up side by side, and vendor's stalls and
carts are interspersed between them. Dust kicked up by ground traffic and
engine exhausts billows through the air, coating near anything that manages to
remain still long enough with a film of grime.

Single voices vie to be heard over the cacophany of crowds from across the
'Verse, and are lost altogether amongst the grind of machinery and roaring of
engines. Exotic scents mingle with that of the unwashed and sweaty, while
there's an undercurrent of less easily defined odors in the air. Unless you're
looking for clean and shiny, there's a little something for everyone to be
found here on Eavesdown's docks.
==============================================================================

A bustle of activity, people going by, voices overlapping, tradespeople of dubious legality yelling to make their merchandise known and tradespeople keeping shut to keep their merchandise of dubious legality unknown, the odd respectable passer-by, lots of ships, lots of luggage, lots of dirt... but mostly ships.

One in particular catches the eye: there's a circle of pepole assembled around it, a single short guy with a camera (okay, calling him short is an understatement. Borderline midget is more like it) pointing at one particular young woman whose elegant attire might seem a bit out of place and whose camera-worthy exploit basically involves smiling, standing between said camera and said ship while saying things. Things like...

"...and we have safely landed in Persephone, just in time for the commercial break! We'll be back in a moment to roam the stands learn how to tell a mediocre protein-cube-on-a-stick from a downright disgusting one!"

The hatch of the Compass opens with a soft whirr, coming to rest in a puff of gray dust on the surface of the Eavesdown docks. Emerging into the bustle is a rather small woman with a smile on her face that seems near-perpetual. She pats the ship encouragingly as she exits, punching the hatch closed and stopping to watch that no one enters without her knowledge until the ship is properly closed once again. A heavy toolbelt rests low on her hips, and thick leather gloves are on her hands. These she pulls away as she turns to scan the docks, stuffing them into one of her many cargo pockets before approaching a ramshackle wooden cart proclaiming it to sell 'The Best Dog Burgers in Town!' Ashlyn raises one eye to the hubub not terribly far off, canting her head to one side curiously as she slips the dog-burger vendor some crumpled bills. "Now what's all this?" she muses to herself, watching with interest at the strange new activity, if anything can really be called strange in the docks.

Mixing and mingling, well just mixing actually, is a young man wearing casual clothes, a T-shirt, hoodie and jeans. He has a baseball cap on, and the hood of his jacket flipped up over that. One hand is shoved in the hoodie's pocket, the other is thumbing a PDA. Harrison isn't really watching where he's going, the PDA absorbing most of his attention, and he nearly bumps into one of those gathering around in the crowd. "Mmph," he says, pulling himself short, and looks up from the device in his hand to look aroudn curiously.

Nancy goes silent and just stares into the camera, eyes closed, then all of a sudden she stiffens up, and yells, "Okay, Shortbert, cut! That's enough for now, an hour pause, feel free to roam around, check the place out, sample the foods. If any of you dies of food poisoning please report back, so we can report the stands on today's show." She claps her hands three times. "Now go, go, go!"

A bearded man sitting on a chair next to the cameraman lowers his sunglasses and gasps, "...Nancy! /I/ am the director! I am supposed to say who and what and..." Everyone seems to ignore the rest of his speech, thogh, getting on with business as usual, so we shall do the same and move on to the borderline midget in a jumpsuit who lowers his camera and laments, "...but my name isn't Shortbert!"

Ashlyn grins at the goings on. Behind her, the burger vendor hails her attention with an impatient, "Cap'n." Ashlyn turns, thanking him as she accepts an extreemly greasy looking burger piled high with equally greasy looking toppings that may be better left unspecified. The expression on her face as she takes a bite of it suggests that it may actually be the best dog burger in town. Curiosity overwhelms any caution she might have as she wanders over in the direction of the activity as everyone begins scattering. Nancy may not be the director, but clearly she's in charge, so it's in her direction the woman wanders. "Watcha' filmin'?" she asks, shaking a few drops of grease from one hand into the dirt and wiping the remainder on her hip to join the oilstains there.

Harrison glances back at his PDA, only to look up as the shouting commences. A few people linger and he shrugs, lingering himself, figuring he has nothing better to do, and going back to the sea of cubicles that he calls work is definitely not one of them. His gaze watches quietly as the film crew bustles.

Nancy turns to look at Ashlyn. "What? You never heard of 'Spoingling Up The Kitchen', the shows for people serious about what they eat?" She glances at Ashlyn's burger, then looks back at the woman. She clicks her tongue and shakes her head "...nnnnno, I guess not. In that case, here." She reaches inside her pocket and pulls out a marker. She bites the cap off and spits it out, while reaching in under the bib of her apron and pulling out a photograph of hers, which she autographs, 'Nancy Lucy Spoingle'. She looks up again, "What name should I put in the dedication?"

Meanwhile, the short cameraman turns towards Harrison and laments, "...My name is /not/ Shortbert!"

Ashlyn seems to think about that for a moment, giving her greasy hand another good cleaning on her pants now that it looks like she's about to be expected to handle something not apt to take well to grease. "Could I ask you ta make that out ta Delilah? She's our chef. Bet she watches yer show. My name's Ashlyn, though." She grins and nods around to all the vendors crowding the docks. "Knock the food here all ya want. It's saved my life `bout a hundred times o'er now," she chuckles.

Harrison looks up from his PDA at the camera and raises both brows. With a straight face, he suggests, "Longbert, then?" and then returns to finish his text and then tucks the device away. He looks over at the autograph signing going on and a though hits him. Whipping out his PDA again, he 'texs to a certain site, reads it, then shrugs.

"Excuse me, Ms. Spoingle," Harrison says coming over to her and Ashlyn, putting the device away again. "I, uh, if you don't mind, I'm a big fan and would love to have an autograph." He wears a bright smile and acts rather serious, though truth be told, he'd never watch the show.

Nancy proceeds to sign the photo to Delilah. With an encouragement to "Keep cooking, Keep Spoingling!". Then laughs. "Oh, no, not knocking the food itself. Food is what keeps me alive too. Literally. And metaphorically. And literally in another sense. Wait, make it two." She finishes her calligraphic masterpiece (or so it is in her eyes) with a flourish, and hands over the item. "That's from the 'Best Dog Burger' stand, if I recognise the condiment. Well, a hint for the future: 'Best' on the sign of a meat stand is pretty much like 'Honest' on the sign for a used spaceship dealer's, if you know what I mean." She then turns and smiles at Harrison, smile which grows into a grin. "Suuuure, darling!" She reaches into her bib and pulls out a second photo. She starts autographing, then asks, "Whom to?"

The midget cameraman's brain finally catches up. He raises a finger, and laments, "...my name isn't Longbert, either! I'm called-" "SHORTBERT! I'll be needing my marker cap soon! Pick it up from the ground where I've spat it!" "But-" "NOW!" Well, one certainly doesn't see those two bulging eyes and those bared teeth on the show, for sure. And so "Shortbert"'s head sinks in his houlders, and his complaints end with a whimper, as he approaches.

Ashlyn smiles as she takes the photo, nodding as she slides it into her pocket. "Tell ya what also, long as yer here," she says, taking a step back to let Harrison get closer without crowding. "If ya want the stuff what tastes any good at all, pick the ones that admit they're serving rat. Meat's fresher that way, anyway. You see many cattle `roud here?" She grins and takes another bite of her dogburger as she scoots back a little more out of the way of the bustle.

Harrison snickers at Ashlyn's admittance of rat-burgers, and then says to Nancy, "Oh, just your name would be perfect." He grins brightly at her and knows that a non-addressed autographed picture goes for a few more credits than a named one.

Nancy finishes signing her photo, then hands it over to Harrison. "Heeeeere you go, sweetie! Treasure it!", she says, with a wink. She then turns to Ashlyn and adds, "Ah, best rat I've had was in Persephone. They know how to kill those who fed in fancy houses. But the real secret lies in letting them soak in the right flavoured alcohol." She starts removing her apron, and tosses it to a side. Luckily, Shortbert's fast enough to catch it. "Okay, I'm going to take this time to roam the place myself. See you later, folks, shooting will continue in about an hour, if you want to be back!"

Ashlyn chuckles a little at the goings on, taking another big bite of the greasy burger and waiting until Nancy is out of earshot before asking Harrison, "Is it a popular show?" She takes another bite and skirts a hasty step back as the burger explodes condiments, trying not to get mustard splashback on her shoes. "Dunno what she's talkin' `bout. I don't think the sign lies," she laughs. But she doesn't look like a terribly picky person when it comes right down to it.

Harrison gladly takes the image and holds it gently so as to not crease or damage his new property. "Thank you ma'am," he replies and then throwing a quick nod to Ashlyn, he turns to head back into the crow. Pulling out his PDA, he 'texes a bit, and before he reaches the street, he's got this picture up for bid.

Ashlyn just chuckles again. Perhaps the very fabric of the univers is amusing to her. Waving a short goodbye to Harrison, she pops the last bite of her burger into her mouth and quickly disposes of all wrapper-related evidence in a nearby waste can, lest she face the wrath of Delilah for eating Fido. Punching the hatch open she vanishes back on board the Compass.

I now pronounce you... Man and wife. Part II

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:32:14 GMT

IC Time: June 6, 2518

((Meanwhile, on the other side of the beach...))

The white sand of the Newhall beach is somehow pristine despite the many footprints crossing over it. Music is playing, a scattered handfull of people are dancing, and a great many people are flocking to the tables of food. Ashlyn weaves through the crowd, waving and smiling and doing all those 'trying to be polite without entirely blowing my family off' gestures as she makes her way toward Bishop and the inlaws she's managed to forgo meeting until now. She hangs back for a moment as she draws near, trying to judge if she's about to be interupting, looking more than a little nervouse.

Perhaps an interuption would be good. The conversation taking place looks hardly to be anything of comfort as Bishop and his Lumberjack Father are discussing things with very intent expressions. Arguing most definately but doing it in quiet voices. His Mother is watching the occurance and also joining in the stern lecturing of Bishop before looking up and spotting Ashlyn. Reaching up, she taps Bishop's arm and he in turn looks over at the Wife and smiles a bit, waving.

Ashlyn isn't entirely dense. She musters up the best smile she can and hurries the last few steps over to Bishop's side, reaching out for his hand, and seeming to take a little bravery from her proximity to him. "Hey, Love," she says to him before turning her best 'oh my, it's just occured to me' look to the three of them and adding a polite, "I'm not interupting anything, am I?" Of course she's interupting something, and she darn well knows it. No reason not to be polite about it.

"Of course you are." Bishop's dad speaks with a gruffness, drawing ired glares from both Jason and his Mother. After the glare, Jason looks over to Ashlyn. "Just some family issues. Turns out my father is more of an idiotic lout than anyone ever realized before and they're trying to drag us into his stupidity." The words are bluntly harsh, giving much light into the relationship Bishop has with his family and why they're never talked about.

"I'm happy for you." His mother speaks softly towards Ash.

Ashlyn looks between Bishop and his father first, looking a little concerned for a moment and giving Bishop's hand a gentle squeeze. "Sorry ta hear that," she replies to Bishop's father, though she makes it readily obvious she's not about to leave. Bishop's mother gets an entirely thrilled smile, however. "Pleasure ta meet you, ma'am," she says. "Sorry I didn't sooner. I... `magine I prob'ly should a sent y'all a WAVE or somethin', huh?" This is obviously applicable to both her new inlaws, but it's her mother in law who offered the pleasantries, so it's mostly her the apology is directed to.

Bishop and his father are having a stare down, the two looking very sternly at each other and finally the father speaks. "You're taking the damn package." Bishop smirks and responds in an equally level voice. "The hell we are. Your mess. I warned you about her, you never listened." His father growls, "Real woman for a real man is the way I see it."

Bishop's mother smiles a bit at Ashlyn, "Wouldn't of done much good sweety. He'd have deleted it straight out." She nods her head towards Bishop's father. "He's ... very set in his ways. And you might want to step away from my boy if I know these two."

Ashlyn looks sideways at Bishop curiously, her hand still on his, and mouths the word 'package?' canting her head slightly to one side to indicate that she's asking a question. She turns back to Mrs. Bishop, though one ear is very obviously on the conversation between her husband and father in law. If she's ruffled in any way about what seems to be a dig at her, it doesn't show. "Wish I could say it made me feel any better `bout not sendin' one," she says with a smile. She looks back at Bishop and his father again at his mother's warning, but doesn't move, shrugging slightly to his mother with a smile. She's set to stand by him through the anything. "My name's Ashlyn, but most folk just call me Ash. I'm sure ya already know that much, but..." She shrugs again with a slight smile. "I'm real glad ta meet y'all finally."

The staring contest between father and son continues until the Father flushes bright red and lifts his meaty paw to swing at Bishop. But he stops, mostly due to the sound of clicking as if something was being cocked, eyes drifting towards Jason's pocket where his hand is. Staring icily at his father, the look of 'I dare you' is very apparent.

Bishop's mother smiles warmly towards Ashlyn while the showdown continues. "Well it is a pleasure Ash. I'm Madeline. I'm sure we'll see each other again. Without the oaf." That part is directed right to Bishop's father who blinks slightly at the admonishment.
"Darling." Jason's voice speaks softly. "Remember how I told you I don't get along with my family too much... this is a good outing."

Ashlyn lets go of Bishop's hand, but doesn't move, more it seems that she's giving him room to take a swing if he ends up needing to in the next few seconds. "Jason, you wanna come dance with me?" she asks quietly, nodding toward the cleared space where a few people are dancing. Or pretty much just in the direction the man threatening to hit him is not. Though a wedding portrait of Bishop with a black eye /would/ be a good conversation piece. A little more quietly, she ads, "What's goin' on?" Hopefully Madeline's the forgiving sort she seems to be, because Ashlyn's attention is entirely on Bishop as the disagreement threatens to come to blows.

"Dancing sounds very nice. Ma, Pa... why don't you enjoy some cake. I'm going to go dance with my wife." Bishop states with a smile and reaching down takes Ash's hand before walking backwards a few steps, not turning his back on his father until he's a few paces away then doing such. Whispering in a quiet voice towards Ashlyn. "They got into a bad business deal and wanted us to bail them out of it."

Ashlyn waves a polite goodbye to Madeline with a bright smile that falters slightly as Bishop whispers to her. She squeezes Bishop's hand gently as she walks beside him, her eyes casting back to his parents without turning her head. As they approach the tents and the cleared area, the sand gives way to bright green grass and the music becomes louder, though not overbearing. "How were we supposed to bail them out?" she asks softly, though it's quickly becoming apperent that she's as interested in making a fool of herself on the dance floor with him as she is in sating her curiosity. She smiles as they reach the cleared area and turns to offer her other hand to him.

Bishop takes it and pauses, "I am so horrible at dancing." He laments softly before smiling. Not that it matters how bad they are, it is a wedding afterall. He keeps talking though, "They agreed to run a package, something the Alliance or some sort don't want ran. So they got people snooping around, sounds like stolen goods to be honest and they wanted us to take it. Which I ain't no part of."

Ashlyn smiles softly as he takes her hand, starting them in a slow circle. The click of a couple of cameras going off nearby can be heard over the music as she leans her head gently against his shoulder, so her words don't have to travel far. "After that, I can't help but agree," she whispers, nuzzleing her cheek against him. "You really got a gun in yer pocket?" she asks with a smile.

"Huh? No, of course not." Bishop says and pulls his hand out of his pocket after sticking it in, revealing just a little click counter. He smiles at her and sticks it back in his pocket. "My family ain't good stuff... but we don't have to deal with them that much."

Ashlyn laughs as she sees the counter and lets one arm circle his waist to give him a slight squeeze. "Crafty," she says softly. "Ya can't pick yer family. Yer mom seems real nice though." This is said more distractedly than anything else, as she holds him close and pretends she knows how to dance, smiling brightly if only for the sheer fact that she's near him.

"My mom is the diplomat. She's nice because it pays off for her to be nice to you. It keeps her on my good side. Dont mistake her being nice for likin' ya though doll. They hate ya." Bishop says softly. "And thusly, I hate them." He smiles at Ash then.

Ashlyn laughs softly and gets on her toes to kiss his cheek, though the motion makes her stumble slightly. She's certainly no better a dancer now than she was when they met. "Well, ferget them, then," she says softly. "I think I brought enough inlaws ta have ta deal with inta this, anyway. Not like we're gonna have a shortage if we're minus the two a them." As if on que, someone listening closely might hear Richard shouting in the distance, "Drew, do /not/ set that off here!" Ashlyn flinches a little. She heard it. But unless something catches fire, she's not going to think about what her brothers are doing.

Bishop hears it as well and glances then frowns then looks back to Ashlyn. "Is Arsony genetic?" The question is asked with a serious expression, obvious concern over the viability of firestarter spawn being a clear motivator for the question.

The sound of Andrew not following advice is a distinctive sound. Something like a hissing followed by a muffled boom, shortly thereafter by a loud whisting noise. Ashlyn just closes her eyes and sighs under her breath, "It was pointed at the sky... It was pointed at the sky..." And thankfully it was, it seems, as the crackling boom of a firework going off overhead herolds a pyrotechnic red flower in the sky over the ocean. "Thankfully no," Ashlyn says with a relieved sigh before patting Bishop's back gently. "You have to worry `bout twins."

"What?" He asks tilting his head looking down at Ashlyn's chest. "What's wrong with the twins?" Apparently the fireworks explosion had him missing part of the conversation and he is under the belief the twins are the rack.

Ashlyn laughs and squeezes Bishop again. "Wrong twins," she imparts quietly, reaching up to poke his nose gently, lest some family member aquire a shot of her husband blatently looking down her dress. "Twins run in my famly. On my da's side." Which might explain why no matching siblings seem to be present.

"Huh." Bishop states with a frown, "You never mentioned that before..." He says it with a shrug then coughs a bit. Apparently one of the guests noticed because they're chuckling and telling a buddy about seeing the groom doing a check on the engine. "Well... Nothing for us to worry about for a bit then."

Ashlyn chuckles lightly, both to Bishop, and to the guests' comments. "It ain't hardly ever come up in conversation," she admits. "An' it's still only `bout a one in ten chance anyway... so..." She looks around almost suspiciously before turning back to him with a lopsided grin. "Anywho, Del's here somewheres, so now maybe ain't the greatest place fer such a discussion, or we might find outselves surprised with a blue an' pink baby shower by sundown, eh?" she says with a soft laugh, holding onto him and swaying /almost/ in time with the music.

"She does enjoy jumping the gun on such things doesn't she?" Bishop points out quietly with a grin. "Next thing you know she'll come running up demanding that we plan our anniversary party the over eager beaver."

"Fer the next ninety years just in case we live that long," Ashlyn agrees with a smile that says she wouldn't mind ninety years of Bishop. "So lets not give her anything to work with. I have other plans fer once the sun goes down," she ads with a playful smirk.

"Checkers?" Bishop responds with a playful grin before stepping back as the song finishes and thusly the dance, adding his applause to those others in regards to the musicians. "Make sure to check the ship before we leave for any packages that shouldnt' be on it."

"If that's what we're calling it now," Ashlyn chuckles, stepping out of the clearing with him, still holding his hands and smiling. Ginger scoots quickly past them, and Ashlyn raises her voice so her niece can easily hear the next comment. "Since there's gonna be a top ta bottom search fer stowaways that shouldn't be a problem." Ginger has the decencey to color bright red and giggle in embarasment as she makes her way toward the food tables. Ashlyn smirks and looks back up at Bishop. "Lets go get some pictures a us hittin' eachother in the face with cake," she smiles, tugging his hand a little to follow in her niece's wake.

I promise I didn't put a little device to spray ink in your face

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:09:14 GMT

IC Time: June 4, 2518

Ashlyn stands outside the Compass with a dinged clipbaord in her hand, signing her name with an orange (the dockwork doesn't look amused) pen with the other as the last of the cargo is dropped into the cargo bay. For the first time in a long time, the hold is crowded with wooden and plastic crates, all neatly addressed and labeled. Taking the yellow imprint of the documentation, she folds it up with a grin and slips it into one of her pants pockets as the loading crew heads off. Turning, she walks up the ramp to survey the hold with a smile, her hands resting on her hips. "This is a nice change," she says, probably adressing the ship.

From amongst the docks Bishop makes his way back towards the ship, hopping a bit to avoid a few passerbys and ignoring the glare from the dockworker as he scampers up the ramp to stand behind Ashlyn. "Well look at that. You'd almost think we were a responsible, legitimate ship."

Ashlyn turns at the voice and already has her arms open for a hug. "Yeah, almost enough ta fool the casual observer, huh?" she replies with a smile as she throws her arms around him. "What you been up to?" she asks, looking up at him.

Bishop slips into Ash's arms and hugs her, giving a slight twirl to the woman, "OH the usual. Sneaking around, doing scoundrel things. Taking care of some business I've been putting off for awhile now."

Ashlyn giggles as she's spun, holding onto his arms. "Oh yeah?" she asks, grinning as she comes to a stop, steadying herself on the metal below her feet, mostly by leaning into Bishop. "What kinda business?"

"Ya know, important business like finishing getting your birthday present all these months later and things of that nature." He smiles slyly, "Really important business like that."

Ashlyn grins. "My birthday?" she asks, sounding surprised. "Aw you didn't have ta do nothin'! I'd fergot all about it myself!" Her eyes search his face and study the mischevious look with one raised eyebrow. "What'd ya get me?" she asks, still grinning and still holding onto his arms.

"Well it's sort of a triple present. Cause i've been a bit of a slacker in that department." Bishop says softly. "I mean, you ain't had no engagement ring this entire time, not that I'd think you'd wear one often anyway. But still. And the birthday I missed, and I ain't really ever gotten ya anything well, ever."

Ashlyn shakes her head negative. "You gave me that picture, an' that coupon. An' the paint set." She says it fondly as if these were some of the best things she ever received. "An' lots a other things, too." she grins and hugs him again, because if he's there she might as well just glue herself to him anyway. "Whatever you got me I already love it," she promises, her words muffled in his shirt.

"I hope so." Bishop says quietly and gently nudges Ashlyn away so he can look at her. "Not that nothin is ever you know.. normal between us." He reaches to his pocket and produces a small black box.

Ashlyn lets him nudge her back, but her eyes are on his, and it's not for a moment that the production of the box catches her attention. He might have said something to the effect of one of her presents being an engagement ring, but that doesn't stop both her hands from flying to her mouth and her blue eyes going wide as she sees what he has.

"It took some time cause... well I had to find someone who could make it, and then that person bailed out and I had to pull a few strings. But I think it's appropriately unique." He says with a small smile.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bishop (Conn)
Date: Wed Jun 04 16:55:32 2008 Folder: 0 Message: 3
Status: Unread
Subject: Ring
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A ring of yellow and rose gold, inset with a black diamond: The ring is primarily yellow gold, the band flat with rounded edges. The diamond is round and single cut, bezel set to sit flush with the surface of the band. Circling the darkstone is a halo of rose gold, evocative of a solar eclipse.
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Ashlyn hears all that, but it may be a minute or two before the words manage to reach the point in her consciousness where she can form a verbal response. For now she's just frozen there, looking at the box in his hand, so much like the box she game him back on Paquin, her fingertips still pressed into her lips.

"So.. uhm..." Bishop tilts his head, "You kinda should maybe open it? I promise I didn't put a little device to spray ink in your face when you do. Although next time I think I will..."

Ashlyn steps closer so one shoulder brushes against Bishop and her arm slips around his waist, her free hand reaching up to take the box from him. She holds it for a moment before lifting off the top with her thumb. "Oh... wow..!" she gasps as the sun hits the black diamond and sparkles back brightly despite the darkness of the stone. "Jason, it's... it's beautiful..!" Bringing the box and the ring inside against her chest, she looks up at him. "I don't know what ta say. This is the most amazin' thing I ever seen!"

"Well considerin' we already agreed ta get hitched ain't much else to really say about it." He comments softly still smiling and blushing a bit. "Like I was sayin', I figure ya probably won't wear it all the time and what not but at least now ya know... you can say you got an engagement ring even if it was a tid bit late."

Ashlyn just smiles, reluctantly freeing her arm from around his waist to take the ring from it's box. She twirls the shimmering gold loop between the fingers of her right hand was a soft smile. "You know I'll wear it ever time I can. When it ain't gonna get hurt while I work." She sets the box in her pocket and holds her heft hand out to him, offering the ring in her right. "I think /you/ should," she says, smiling and twitching her ring finger slightly.

"I should what?" Bishop asks sounding utterly confused with a tilt of his head that gives him that stereotypical male dumbfounded look.

Ashlyn chuckles softly, still holding the ring out to him. "Put the ring on my finger," she says. "I think you're the one who's s'post to. An' I think... I think I'd like that."

The blush grows a bit and he nods as he takes the ring and then followed by Ashlyn's hand, delicately sliding the ring on and then stopping. "Oh wait, wrong finger." He comments quietly and then switches it to the right finger to put it on Ash.

Ashlyn watches him put the ring on her finger quietly, smiling in a way that says the whole `verse is in perfect peaceful allignment and she knows it. Or at least it would be if anything existed outside of her and Bishop. She looks at the ring on her finger, and a blush spreads across her own features before she gets up on her toes to kiss him softly.

Bishop gently kisses Ash back before looking up past her to the cargo hold and blinking. "So where... or what... are we taking?" He asks as if suddenly realizing they have cargo.

"Eh... Oh!" Ashlyn says, settling the rush of butterflies in her throat. "Um, just food stuffs. Freeze-dried meals an' water purification tablets fer a little border town. Real great net fer a trip like that, too. Way more'n I thought it'd be." She fights down the blush next, trying to look alittle more composed. "Said we could get it out that far in a few weeks, after, ya know..." she looks up at Bishop and grins. "I'm still wowing o'er this," she says, touching the ring. "It's perfect. It really is."

"Thanks... but I can't take full credit. Aradia helped me pick it out and get it set up." He says with a small smile, "My own tastes in such things isn't the best ever."

"Thanks... but I can't take full credit. Aradia helped me pick it out and get it set up." He says with a small smile, "My own tastes in such things isn't the best ever." Swallowing he looks at the cargo though and nods, "Yeah... well we can easily deliver it casually then I suppose."

"Well, tell her I say thank you, but I'm still gonna blame all this happy on you," Ashlyn says, looking down at the ring again. "I'll get a chain fer it so it's got somplace safe ta be when I'm workin'." She seems to have forgotten all about this being one third of Bishop's plan for her birthday as she looks alternately between the black diamond and Bishop's eyes as if she can't decided what she'd rather look at.

Bishop grins and nods, "And just know if anything happens to it? It's just you know.. a thing. Not near as important as you are. So like, don't do anything stupid thinking that it's really valuable. Cause you are."

Ashlyn nods with a grin. "I promise I won't drop it inta a hot engine an' make a grab fer it," she assures him. She reaches up to touch his face with her fingertips. "Yer all I'll ever need ta be happy, Jason. I love you."

"I love you too doll. Now, let's go turn music up really loud and annoy the rest of the crew while we're dirtside so they have someplace to go." He grins and grabs her hand to lead the way.

Ashlyn laughs as her hand is siezed, hurrying after him without any word of complaint. How could she have one, anyway? "Where are we going?" she laughs.

"I'll tell you when we get there, and we'll have to move your boots out of the way." Bishop coughs as he leads into the ship further.

Mon, 19 May 2008 22:26:03 GMT

IC Time: May 19, 2518

Boros is a dry planet, a junk planet actually, but seeing as one man's trash is another man's treasure, in the eye of the right beholder Boros is a treasure trove to beat all others. The way the small woman in the spaceport looks, she might be one of those people. Her tanned arms and face stained with grease to match her clothing and bandanna tying back her braided hair, the character looks entirely in place in the environment. Standing beside a holoterminal that has most certainly seen better days and newer models, she muses over a list of transports.

Ceara sits discouraged among the other refuse of Boros, famished from her long "unwanted" stay, she sits among a pile of bags, which are holding up her sign. "Employment wanted: Not too particular, willing to discuss" crossed out with "Desperate" Written over it.

Ashlyn tisks to herself as she turns away from the terminal, looking slightly irritable from whatever it is she saw there. The turn brings her to face a rather strange sight in the spaceport. She pauses for a moment before making her way over to the woman, her head canted to one side like a dog listening to something only she can hear. "Well, that's about the most streight-forward job application I seen in a while," she offers with a grin as she comes closer, the heavy treads of her boots scuffing slightly in the dirt.

The rather dusty Ceara stands up, nervously brushing the planet back off her dress. After a couple moments of attempting to clean up, she takes note of her shoes, and comes to the conclusion... there is no way in hell she'll ever get the memory of this place off of her. "One's gotta be straight forward if they're gonna get off'a this rock without entropying into dirt. I'd prefer to get out by some other means than someone's shoes"

Ashlyn looks around them, taking in the hot, dry, dusty late spring, the makeshift spaceport, the veritable /mounds/ of scrap only a short jog distant. She smiles. But then again, she's often smiling. "Well, you could wait an eternity it seems," she says a little more brightly than one might expect. "Boros don't get much traffic. But if it's passage yer lookin' fer, I got a ship's almost spaceworthy, an' fer a fee I'll take ya were ya need ta go. An' if it's work yer lookin' fer, I might have that, too. What is it ya do?"

"I am a trained companion." she concisely states. "What you shall see behind me, is every worldly good I retain. After a brief disagreement with my previous hosts, we determined it best I not journey with them further. So they dropped me on the nearest rock." she nervously shuffles her feet, "I'm not well trained in anything practical; no engineering or piloting, but I'm able to take directions well, I'm rather sharp and can probably fill any role that needs to be done with a little time."

Ashlyn cants her head to one side again. "Companion?" she repeats. "So you, what just need a lift back ta the guild house?" Ashlyn seems rather taken aback by this revelation. When are companions ever in trouble? They might as well have superpowers for all the small engineer can fathom. "Hell, that ain't no problem, long as ya don't mind we're gettin' goin' at a somewhat leasurly pace. Part a the central hub a the computer's busted an' that's a part I can't dig up `round here." She casts a glance toward the junk maze spawling as far as the eye can see and then hooks a thumb toward it as she turns back to Ceara. "Ain't really... anythin' a s'pose a Companion would be accustomed to," she admits. "But `s cleanish an' we got a chef." Interesting she says 'chef' rather than 'cook.' "My name's Ashlyn Tanner. Cap'n." She offers her hand, but quickly withdraws it, looking rather sheepish as she wipes a large grease stain from it with a rag dangling from her tool belt.

Ceara grabs Ashlyn's hand as it is being withdrawn, and firmly shakes it. "It shall be my pleasure to join your crew Cap'n. It is what the sign says. The courtesy of the guild is what you see before me. Refuse. I should prefer not to return to the guild house unless absolutely necessary. I've had some time to sit, and think over the entire state of my affairs, while rotting away on this heap." her green eyes sharpen as she realizes how easy it would be to lose composure. "I shall not be able to take all of my bags in a single trip, if you will assist, I believe we can make it in a single trip."

More outright confusion! "Not go back ta the..?" Ashlyn manages as Companion shakes her hand. "Wait, they're just... /leavin/ ya here?" she sounds slightly disbelieving, and looks more than a little shocked at the woman's un-Companionness. Not that Ashlyn would know anything on that matter not built up on a pedistool in the holovids. "An' this ain't a proper hirin'... I mean, Suji'd have ta... an' there's um background checks..." All in all, she looks a little flustered.

"I'll undergo any checks you wish. I am a certified companion, and received my last physical examination 3 months before I was dropped here. If you determine I'm unfit for your crew, I shall only ask you assist me in moving my bags back here." she appears to be breaking at the seams. "Would it be alright if I use the restroom on your ship to polish up before the interview?"

"Erm..." Ashlyn says. "Yeah?" She moves to pick up one of Caera's bags, but stops and instead pulls an iComm out of one of her many over burdened cargo pockets, speaking into it quickly. "Hey, we're gonna have us a visitor so don't shoot her, okay?" she says into the receiver. Weather there was no response or if the response was transmitted in some other way, the captain moves again to pick up the (ex?) Companion's bags. "I, uh, fergive me, I ain't never met a Companion b'fore an' this weren't rightly what I was expectin'," she admits, heaving the strap of one bag over her shoulder. "An' don't worry none. If ya don't stay with the crew fer whatever reason, we're still a transport, an' we'll still take ya where ya need ta be, a'ight?" She begins walking backward as she speaks, and yes, she's heading right into the junk heap.

Ceara picks up the remaining bags, which are visibly burdensome in her gait, the "desperate" sign sticking precariously out. "Your kindness is a boon rarely seen on this dustbowl" she says as she follows into the junk heap

The junk heap begins transforming the deeper one travels into them. Piles of cast off scrap and parts line paths as narrow as gametrails or as wide as boulevards etched in the dry, lifeless dirt. It's a confusing network of pathways, much something that would bring to mind the word 'maze' but Ashlyn navigates the refuse without a moment's hesitation at any fork in the journey. "Well, thank you," she replies. "But I gotta ask, yer a /trained/ Companion, but.... You /still/ one?"

"If that is a solicitation. I should have you know. I'm quite flattered. Especially. Given my abysmal. State." her words awkwardly present themselves with her breaths, between attempts to balance herself with her bags.

Ashlyn cants her head again. "I don't bite," she says with a crooked grin as they walk. "But there's things I gotta know, right? Like are you in some kind a trouble? With the Guild? Or anyone else?" Her large blue eyes catch the other woman's briefly before she turns back to tracking their progress through the refuse.

"There are. A great. Many things. I do. Not know. I lost. Track of time. While on this rock. What I think. was 4 months. Might have. Been more." she stops for a moment to regain her breath, while she continues her story. "The ship I was with would have to give some word to the guild about my disappearance. No one came rushing to retrieve me, so I can't assume it was a good or accurate account." she catches eyes with Ashlyn, "whether it is a question of if I would prefer to be with the guild or not. For now, I'd prefer to try a new way of living."

Ashlyn nods. "Well, we're a ship a new beginin's right down ta thenuts an' bolts," she says with a grin. "Lemme take one a those." She holds out her hand for a bag, probably used to hauling about things while Ceara seems not so much to be. "`Bout built her from the ground up from other broken ships. `Fraid she won't be up ta Companion standards."

Ceara pauses for a moment to chuckle. "If I'm to measure my life against companion standards, then I have perished already. I've got these." she proceeds to walk "they aren't. that. heavy."

Ashlyn continues holding out her hand for the bag. Small and uncaptain like as she is, she /is/ a captain. "Be aweful unhospitable a me," she says with a smirk as she walks backward facing the woman. Ashlyn must know the place well. She even steps over scrap sticking out of the ground without pause. Behind her, the path opens up into a large cleared aria save for a mound of junk at it's center. A mound of junk that on closer inspection appears to be a firefly marred by numerous spots of evidence of fresh wealding. Emblazoned on her nose is a large painting of a nautical compass.

Someone I ain't got no remorse shooting

Thu, 15 May 2008 21:17:30 GMT

IC Time: May 15, 2518

*BAM!* The noise rings out followed by another pair of reports from the sound of the pistol. In the scrapheap it's easy to lose track of where sounds come from, but near the Compass it isn't so bad. Standing outside the ship a good distance away from a target, is of all people Bishop. In his hand his trusty sidearm being held up as he works on shootin' the target.

Ashlyn sits nearby in the dirt, her shorts and tanktop leaving protection from the late spring's sun to her tan and the dusty cowboy hat resting on her head. Her own sidearm is there, but it's still her toolbelt rather than her holster that rests about her hips. "Damn sight better'n I could do," she offers with a crooked grin as she watches. Being as there are few people worse shots than Ashlyn, getting within five yards of the target is a damned sight better. She stands, taking her holster by the buckle and moving over towards him, the other end trailing shallow furrows in the dusty ground. "You wanna teach me maybe?" she asks a little hesitantly. "Ain't gotten no pointers since we parted ways with Matty."

Bishop looks down at the target and then back at Ash, grinning a bit awkwardly as he shrugs, "I can try I guess? Iunno. I think everyone has their own thing and I certainly ain't no gunarm or anything." He responds but steps to the side. "I guess um... way I was taught was pretty straightforward. Control your breathing. Realize if you pull the trigger you're going to kill, so if you have to pull it..." He frowns, "Like me? I envision that target down there as someone I ain't got no remorse shooting. And I pull the trigger... it helps me keep calm, clarity and all that jazz." Bishop's own wardrobe is slightly dusty from being outside and he looks at Ashlyn with slight curiosity in his eyes.

Ashlyn had her toolbelt half-way off, seemingly with the intention of replacing it with the gunbelt when she stops and looks at him curiously. "Ain't got no remorse fer killin'?" she repeats, looking rather more confused than shocked. She lets the toolbelt drop into the dirt with a metallic rattle and slings the gunbelt on in it's stead, unbuttoning the strap holding her lightfoot in it's holster. She draws it out and turns off the safety, holding it with her fingers quite off the trigger as she returns her eyes to him. "Didn't think you had anyone on that list."

Bishop glances over at the target then back to Ashlyn, reaching up to knock some of his hair out of his eyes. "Remember the Reavers?" He says quietly, "When they were goin' after ya? Ain't no remorse. Ain't no feeling. It's like... when flyin' ya know? If you let fear, if ya let feelin' get in the way sometimes you make the mistake you're trying to hard to avoid. Gotta trust yourself. Same for shootin', at least for me. I pull the trigger it's to end somethin' that has ta be ended I guess. It's why I don't like guns."

"Nessisary evil, I guess," Ashlyn says as she looks to the target. She stares at it a moment with a contemplative frown before raising the gun toward it. There's another long moment before she pulls the trigger. It's a beat after the recoil that she flinches. No surprise, the shot is wide, and a puff of dirt behind the target announces the bullet's destination as it loges itself into the ground. She offers an embarrassed and not entirely mirthful chuckle and lowers the gun again. "Well, I don't think I'll have ta worry `bout killin' no one no time soon."

"Close your eyes Ash." Bishop says softly, walking over to her to guide her hand up once more. Waiting for her eyes to close he levels the gun for her and keeps speaking. "I want you to envision in your mind the following. I have seen the look in your eyes you need once. I want you to see her red hair. See her holding the knife, and see her about to stab me. Now open your eyes and shoot her."

"You told me not ta kill her," Ashlyn says with an almost cold smirk as she lets Bishop guide the gun back toward the traget, closing her eyes as the attempt at a smile drops away. It's not terribly hard to envision taking the justified opportunity to end that woman. This time when she opens her eyes and fires, the dull clang of a hole being punched through Bishop's target issues back across the distance. Again it's not until after the recoil that Ashlyn flinches. "I don't like that side of me," she says as she lets the weapon drop again.

"Good." Bishop says softly to Ashlyn, brushing the back of his fingers on her cheek. "You shouldn't like that side of you. It's when you start liking that side of yourself that you start gettin' lost y'know?" He bites his lip. "She started liking that side of herself too much. I'm just glad ya didn't have to deal with that... the... the side of people where they don't care anymore."

Ashlyn looks down at the lightfoot in her hand with a frown and flips on the safety, checking it twice even just to be sure. Then it's placed in it's holster and secured there. All this in place of responding to that. Even after the metal buttons lock into place with a reassuringly secure 'click!', her hand rests on the totally bound firearm as if wishing to find some other way to lock it away. "That ain't true," she finally says in a quiet voice.

"Oh, well I mean I know that you kinda had the proxy of it. Ain't tryin' to say it was easy on ya or anything." Bishop says softly and apologetically. "I just meant like you know, being the target of the psychosis."

Ashlyn shakes her head slightly and finally trusts her lightfoot to stay harmlessly in it's place without pinning it there with her hand, lifting her palm to cover a nervous clearing of her throat. "Well," she says with a half-smile, "Ya ain't the only one with people from yer past don't often come up in conversation." There's a definite note of apology in her voice as she admits that.

Bishop is about to say something but stops and blinks his eyes, turning to look at Ashlyn. "Huh?" He finally manages to inquire after several minutes of looking moderately to heavily confused.

Ashlyn unlaces the gunbelt and lets it fall next to her toolbelt in the dirt. "I've had ta deal with... that other side b'fore. From someone I was close to." She pauses then shrugs nonchalantly. "It was a long time ago. A long time b'fore we met."

"Long enough to not bother mentionin' at all?" Bishop asks his voice really quiet. There is curiousity in his question but nothing to pressing, instead he is fiddling with the Lightfoot in his hand before holstering it.

Lucinda wanders through, her face diverted to the PDA she carries in her hand and insistantly taps at with her stylus. Perhaps she heard gunshots and came to investigate the noise, or her being here is just purely happenstance. "If either of you shoot yourselves in the foot, don't think I'll stop snickering long enough to stitch you up."

"I don't like talkin' `bout things that can only serve ta depress people," Ashlyn says, with a slight smile. She can't help but be happier when she looks at him, no matter what. "But I'll-" And that's when Lucinda walks out. Ashlyn swallows as she looks over at Lucinda, then back to Bishop. "Tell ya if ya ask me too," she finishes. The offer seems to still be standing even with company.

"I think I've shot myself in the foot enough for one day." Bishop says towards Ashlyn and Lucinda both, managing a little smirk on his lips. "And that's your decision Ash. If it's important it is, if it ain't, then it ain't no bother." The small smirk stretches to a smile before he looks over at Lucinda. "And you know damn well you'd fix my foot. You have that whole ethics thing."

Lucinda quirks a brow, finally raising her gaze to encompass them both. "The physician's code of ethics doesn't specifically restrict pointing and laughing however. Nor does it quantify what color bandage I get to use. I have an overabundance of pink stashed away for just the occassion." All this said with a completely stone dead face. Lu's even serious about her joking.

When not under the effects of stupid due to one's entire brain being devoted to a certain significant other and certain significant events in one's life, one has to work up a lot of nerve to tell some stories, nerve Ashlyn's already worked up and from the look on her face does not have confidence in working up a second time. "There was someone... when I was seventeen," she says. Lucinda is certainly close enough to hear her, but Ashlyn's world is usually narrowed down to the singular entity known as Bishop no matter what if he is in the room, anyway. She's not being rude, she just knows where the center of her universe is. "We weren't serious. Weren't even official. His name was Tracy. He was... he went insane."

Bishop pauses in his response to Lucinda to look at Ashlyn and tilt his head. "What... kind of insane? Are we talking like, voices in the head? Following you home and watching you from across the street? I mean ,there's degrees of insane." He asks trying to keep a somewhat jovial tone before glancing Lu a glance of questioning.

The line that appears between Lucinda's brows is a good indication she's puzzled as well. Her gaze drops briefly to the PDA in hand, quickly thumbing through to find Ashlyn's file, as if there will be some clue hidden in her medical history about 'crazy pseudo boyfriend'. Her brow furrows deeper when all she comes up with for that time period is 'fractured ribs due to equine incident'. Lu looks back to Ash expectantly, now more vested in this little conversation.

"The kind that's all fun an' games an' silly hats fer a few months, but then starts gettin' dark an' moody an'..." Her eyes have dropped momentarily to the ground thought this. She reaches out to poke Bishop's hand with her fingertips and hold her hand open to see if he'll take it. "Violent," she finishes. "Heya, Lu," she finally greets with a slight smile.

"Violent." Bishop repeats not questioning, just quietly repeating it. He tilts his head quirking an eyebrow up further with a slightly icy look in his eyes, not directed at Ashlyn or Lucinda, but obviously that whole protective male aspect that he does have despite attempts to kill it.

Lucinda affixes a polite smile on her face, though its clear her mind is still too focused on the previous conversation to fully switch gears. "Ashlyn." She looks down to the PDA again, her question asked in that still deadpan voice. "Does this mentally unstable person have four legs, a long mane and tail, and have the propencity to eat carrots and hay?"

Ashlyn's free right hand moves almost unconsciously up to grasp the left side of her ribcage, and she squeezes Bishop's fingers a little as she notes the cold look in his eyes. "I... really don't talk `bout it `cause I ain't seen him since he hit me. Not even once. Ain't even heard nothin' `bout him. Mostly `cause I really ain't even asked." She looks up at Lucinda obviously not understanding. "Tracy weren't a horse," she assures the doctor, her voice terribly confused.

"Hit ya." Bishop intones again with a quiet voice. "Ash... I..." He doesn't say anything for a moment looking over at Lu, "You never mentioned it, at all. That's kinda one of those things that we mighta wanted to talk about some before y'know..."

Lucinda is most decidedly not observant about a lot of things, but one of those things that she /is/ in tune with is a look of pain. As Ashlyn reaches for her ribs, Lu can put two and two together. "No, Tracey is most decidedly not a horse. Nor is this this notation in your file anything to do with an equine. If you can't be honest with your fiance, at least be honest with your doctor." She clips.

"Why?" Ashlyn asks, looking up at Bishop worriedly and squeezing his fingers gently as she lets go of her ribs. "It almost ain't worth talkin' `bout at all. It was over four years ago. He hit me once an' that was the very last time I ever saw him." She looks between Bishop and Lucinda, flinching at Lu's words. "This ain't a matter a not bein' honest!" she says. "I-alright, I did lie `bout the horse kickin' me, but..." She just stops and shakes her head, not knowing how to continue.

"I ain't like no doctor o' the head or nothin' Ash." Bishop looks to Lucinda again. "But iunno. I'd think that it could affect ya. Like, you musta trusted this guy at least a little bit.. I don't want that to affect us even if'n it was 4 years ago. It was hella lot longer for Mira and me and you seen how messed up that is."

Lucinda frowns pointedly at the screen of her PDA as she quickly goes about changing the text of Ashlyn's file to reveal this new bit of information. Equine is thusly changed to domestic abuse to be stored in the tiny handheld's databank which gets transferred to the ship's sourcecode nightly and is forever labeled on Ashlyn's file. "I'll leave you two be, so you can sort this out without my looming about."

Ashlyn closes her eyes and purses her lips as Lucinda excuses herself. Doubtless she knows the inner workings of the computer system on her ship perfectly well, but the way she looks after the doctor as she departs says that her unhappiness stems from upsetting her friend rather than getting beaten becoming public knowledge to anyone who decides to dig. She offers up a small smile as she looks up at Bishop. "You known me a long while now," she says softly. "Do you think it's affecting us?"

"I don't suspect so." Bishop says ,shooting a half-glare at Lucinda for abandoning him during this. "But still Ash, stuff like that does you know, mean something. See, now I know there was some crazy sonuva in your past which means well... something. To me it means somethin'."

Lucinda doesn't catch Bishops disapproving semi-glare as she turns to head up the ramp, likely she's left the man in more than a dozen similar circumstances and he's survived them all. And you know what they say, that which doesn't kill you...gives you more reason to drink. As she finishes typing, the PDA is slipped into her pocket so she can concentrate on walking and not colliding with anything.

"All it means is once somethin' bad happened ta me an' I made sure it didn't happen again," Ashlyn says softly, letting her other hand wrap around his as well. "An' since then there's been a whole world a change. If I'd let it affect me, I wouldn't a found you maybe. I pushed it outta my mind an' I wasn't afraid."

"And that's well and good Ash. I just... don't know if you don't think it's a big thing or if you just .. iunno. To me it's a big deal. That's all I'm tryi'n ta say." Bishop announces with a lopsided smile.

Lu is slowly climbing the ramp, in the midsts of tucking a PDA into a pocket. Behind her, Ash and Bishop still linger in the dusty ground surrounding the ship, a target not far off that's riddled with a few holes. A quick observation would reveal that there is a slight bit of tension that clings to the air and there's not a smile among them. Except for Bishop's. But maybe he's drunk.

Ashlyn smiles a little bit. "I should a told you. But I'd gone a long time not tellin' nobody. Right now, `side from you an' Lu, only Tony knows the whole story." Her blue eyes hold his gaze steadily. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Jason."

Delilah comes flying out of the hatch, a small little fluffball puppy in her arms. Which is likely the only thing stopping her from flailing. "BEEEEEEEEEESHOOOOOOOOP!" she yells, hurrying over to them quickly, ignoring everyone but him. "I DON'T THINK WE HAVE GAUZE!" She looks panicked and once she reaches him, her eyes frantically check him over for wounds.

Sujiko hurries out of the cargo bay behind Delilah, but pretty quickly realizes that it's not a violently tense scene, and so slows--wait. "Gauze?" he mumbles to himself, looking over his shoulder toward the medbay briefly. "'lilah, I don' think we need no gauze," he says, though it's likely she doesn't hear him, as he doesn't say it particularly loudly.

"Gods?" Bishop responds to Delilah tilting his head. "I didn't think you were into multiple deities there Lilah." He comments softly before whispering under his breath towards Ashlyn, "Accepted, but don't think this is done." And the subtle wink after is accompanied by a grin before he looks towards the woman with a puppy. "Now what are you going on about?"

Ashlyn smiles gratefully up at Bishop and nods. "Alright," she whispers back before turning to the others. It's Delilah and Sujiko. And a puppy. Some mental calculation seems to flash through Ashlyn's brain, but she keeps the end result of that math to herself. Delilah's frantic cries are what break her out of it. "What's wrong?" she asks with a touch of worry, looking among the assembles for whatever injury seems to have the cook so upset.

Lucinda steps aside as Delilah come barreling down the ramp, her ears of course perked at some frantic words that involve gauze, but instead of following after the woman with some dirty mongrel on a leash, her eyes flit up to Suji. "Is she...alright?" Lu asks, as if ready to go get a sedative should it be needed.

"Gauze, I said gauze!" she repeats, still checking Bishop over, though she looks more confused than panicked now. "I heard shootin' an' he had a gun in his hand an' I remember y'all told me ta get gauze afore, but I don't we got any an' so I couldn't bring it!" She pauses to take a deep breath, and looks over at everyone else. "He ain't hurt?" she asks in a tiny voice. The puppy lets out a small accompanying whimper.

Sujiko looks back at Lu and shrugs, because that's really all he can do. "lilah?" he says. "'lilah I think 's fine." He looks around and spots the target. "Was jus' shoot'n." He shoves his hands in his pockets and can't help but snicker a little as he walks down the ramp toward Delilah. "You guys is all a'ight, ain'tcha?"

Ashlyn nods to Sujiko. "Yeah, we're alright. No need ta worry." One hand lets go of Bishop's and drops into the pocket of her shorts, while the other remains where it is. "You got a puppy," she observes, though her feelings on that are unclear.

Lucinda turns to encompass them all with her gaze, taking a half step backwards to make that possible. Lu, forever distancing herself. "They were merely engaged in target practice before their focus switched to the fact that Ashlyn was formerly physically abused by an old acquaintance. Which slowly declined into a lovers quarrel." What? No one ever told Lu that was confidential.

"I'm alright," Delilah responds to Suji slowly, trying to calm herself down. "An' yeah, I got a puppy." She looks a bit guilty. "He was all 'lone an' his Ma got killed an' they were talkin' 'bout cookin' him, an'...I kinda jus' ran away with him." She turns her guilty eyes to Ashlyn. "I couldn't let them eat him!" she cries. "Can I...can I keep 'im?" The words are rushing out now, like if she speaks fast enough Ashlyn can't help but say yes. "Suji said I could iffn' I took care 'a him an' iffn' you said yes, so please please please say yes!" She seems content to wait for an answer and shuffle her feet while the puppy whimpers lowly some more, but then Lu says something about Ashlyn being abused, and her mouth drops open and stays that way. "Wha?"

"...Ab--" Sujiko starts, half interrupting Lucinda. "You was what?" he asks, giving her a 'why the hell didn't I hear about this and where the hell is this guy so I can kick his ass?' sort of look. His hands leave his pocket and are folded across his chest as his face becomes a bit on the scornful side. As to the puppy, that's up to Ash, if she can stall on the abuse talk long enough to answer.

"Now hold on." Bishop says quietly and calmly. "This is one o those times we need to prioritize." He claims and looks at Delilah. He opens his mouth to speak then his nose scrunches, twitches, and a Bishop-rocking sneeze rips out of his body. "ACHOOOO!"

There's one graceful way out of this. "What's the puppy's name?" Ashlyn asks brightly. "Because he sure is cute! Though I don't know if we can keep a dog on the ship what with allergies an' so little space. But anyway, he's adorable! Where did you find him?" Did someone say Ashlyn was abused?

Lucinda eyes shift to focus on Bishop, noticing his almost immediate reaction to the puppy is to get reddening eyes and begin to sneeze. The PDA comes back out again, if only to check their supply of antihistamines. And make sure they are on perpetual re-order. This is going to be an expensive puppy.

The crew of the Compass, sans Torres, is standing outside of the ship near some form of shooting target. Delilah's got a tiny whimpering puppy in her arms, Bishop's sneezing, Sujiko looks murderous, Lucinda looks medicinal, and Ashlyn looks avoidant.

"I...I found 'im in the market when I was goin' ta buy stores afore we took off," Delilah explains slowly. This really isn't the reaction she expected from Ashlyn. "I didn't end up buyin' nothin', though, cuz I ran away with him" Guilt some more. "An' I ain't picked a name yet. Suji seems ta like Mr. SnickleFritz, though." She beams over at Suji, though it only lasts a moment as she frowns at Bishop. "God bless you!" she offers helpfully. Helpfully by way of his salvation, of course. One can dream.

Sujiko's murderous gaze is interrupted by the name. "'lilah quit callin' 'im that. Ye'll make th' poor dog grow up all confused 'bout bein' a feller," he explains matter-of-factly. "Call 'im Fred or Jeff or Ben or somethin' normal like that." Of course, the hint of a smirk indicates he'd probably settle for something in the middle, if Ash agrees to it at all.

"Or Egg Roll." Bishop offers, "Since honestly, that's his destiny I'd imagine." He looks towards the others to see if any agree with his assessment of doggy.

Still holding Bishop's hand in her own, Ashlyn looks between him and the dog. "I don't know how happy a dog can be on the ship," she says reasonably. "I mean there was a reason Moose an' Misha got left at my folk's ranch. An' even Sprocket was hassle enough with the allergies `fore she jumped ship back in the Docks, an' I was pickin' up her fur with tape ever time she left the room." She turns to Bishop to with a smirk when he suggests eating it, but takes it as a thumbs-down for the dog's future employment on the ship.

Humming to himself, Grey comes strolling down the way slowly spinning some random piece of equipment between his fingers. Not much of a care in his stride as he walks across the Swaps, not really taking too much note of his surroundings from the look of things, just passing through. Or is he looking for something specific?

Lucinda takes a half step forward, "Well, if we are to keep it, I'll need to examine it. Make sure its had all its proper vaccinations which will require yet another supply run...and I was never in charge of the animals on the Grace, so I'll have to do a bit of research as to proper canine care." What sounds like a rather boring mundane job actually seems to Lu a bit of an enthusiastic shine to her eyes. Project!

Bishop gets a halfhearted glare, but Delilah really doesn't have the time or energy to waste on yelling at him for his jokes - there's a puppy's life at stake here! "Well, can we 'least try an' see how he'll do?" she asks with a pleading tone. "Might be a space dog, ya never know. An' I can try an' keep 'im away from Bish, an' I'll wash him an' brush him lots so's his dander ain't everywheres." She nods enthusiastically to Lu, because anything involving what happens after the dog stays is a good thing to focus on right now. "I ain't gonna call 'im SnickleFritz," she assures Suji with a smile. "Maybe I'll call 'im...Cap'n Grey?" She calls out to the man passing by with ironic timing.

Sujiko's brow lowers. "Cap'n Grey?" he asks. "Tha's almost as bad!" But wait. "Oh," he says to himself as he spots Grey approaching. "Howdy there," he greets with a wave of his hand, which shortly thereafter returns to his pocket. "How 'bout Daniel?" he asks Delilah. "Daniel's a good dog's name ain't it?"

Lucinda is apparently too overcome with joy about her new found task, that she quickly boards the ship before anyone actually decides on whether or not to keep the animal. Though if she were to offer her opinion, Daniel is decidedly a horrid name for a puppy as well. Human names bad.

Ashlyn sighs a little as she looks at the puppy. "Two weeks," she tells Delilah evenly. "If the puppy ain't miserable in two weeks bein' holed up here, an' it ain't miserable fer us, neither, then I s'pose I'm a'ight with it." She smiles a little at the dog. "Otherwise, we'll find it a home somewheres it won't get eaten, eh?"

Bishop looks back and forth between everyone. "If this is a conspiracy to make me sneeze all the time because it leads to an adorable face, then I simply must file a formal protest." He states with an air of officiliaty.

Delilah beams as Ashlyn announces the two week rule, and bites her lip before she can say anything more than, "Thanks, Ash." The puppy's whimpering has gotten louder by now, and Delilah mumbles something about having to get a baby bottle to feed it as she nuzzles the tiny thing and moves away in the direction of the Swaps to find one. Suji follows, or not, as per when they return/what he wants.

Ashlyn nods to Delilah as she leaves. "Yeah, well..." she chuckles a little and turns to Bishop, who's hand she's still holding. "Why don't we finish this conversation somewheres without the dog hair floatin' in the air?" she suggests, nodding toward the Compass. To Sujiko and Delilah, she offers an apologetic frown, but one can only work up so much courage in so little time.

"Yeah." Bishop concurs with Ashlyn, glancing towards the others, he adds. "We need to hit a nearby shop soon for an engine part Ash was sayin', so just uhm... well we'll let ya know I guess. But we need to talk. Someone's going to get spanked."

Ashlyn drops the last few rungs of the ladder down into the captain's quarters. It looks remarkably like the one from back on the Theory, with the exception of the new bed and the few extra square feet of space. All there stuff has long since been placed back where it belongs on the shelves and in the drawers. The cowboy hat gets a frisbee-like toss from Ashlyn's hand and skids across the desk to a stop against the wall behind it.

The thuds of Bishop's boots on the plating follows shortly after as he lands from the ladder, stretching his arms upwards and stifling a sneeze that draws his features up into a scrunch. "Another animal, just when I thought the last one had ran far, far away."

Ashlyn hops up on the bed, kicking off her boots and crossing her legs under her so she can lean forward and rest her elbows on her knees. "Sprocket must a hopped ship with Savannha. Cat always did like her best. If the puppy's a problem in two weeks, we won't keep it," she says. "So Delilah and Suji got a puppy. I wonder if he knows what that means," she chuckles. Her arms reach back behind her so her hands rest on the comforter and she looks up at Bishop. "So what more did ya wanna know?"

Bishop shakes his head and chuckles, "He probably hasn't realized what it is yet." The words in reference to Suji. Then he falls quiet for long moments before signing. "Truth be told, I don't want to know much I guess, just... I guess wanna make sure nothing further is there that yer holdin' back?"

Ashlyn's eyes cast up past Bishop to the ceiling and twitch back and forth. "There's a lot a things I don't deem important enough ta say," she says slowly. "But nothin' else like Tracy. At least not as far as I can figure." Her eyes drop back down to meet his. "You know I was so tore up `bout lyin' ta you `bout the bruise on my neck back when we first met, I swore I'd never lie ta you again. I might a lied ta Lu `bout my ribs bein' broke by a horse kickin' me, but I had ta tell the truth ta you."

Bishop nods his head slowly, "I understand that... I don't think of it as lying, and I know sometimes we forget things that may be important to someone else. Taht stuff's important to me, since I like to think I can try to protect ya or somethin'."

A slow smile spreads across Ashlyn's lips and her eyes drop for a moment to her feet crossed in front of her. "Pretty confident I won't need savin' from that kind a thing ever again," she says as she looks back up to him. "But yeah. I get it. An' it's nice knowin' I got someone ta protect me from the things I /do/ need savin' from."

"Phbt, don't get your hopes up. Pretty sure I ain't much of a hero at all." Bishop says with a grin. "So don't you know, hold your breath or anything if bad stuff happens. Better for you to just try to avoid it."

Ashlyn sits up and crosses her arms over her chest. "Now where's the fun in avoidin' trouble?" she asks lightly. "Besides, been very few spots I ain't been able ta dig myself outta. If I wanted ta stay nice an' safe I would a stayed on the ranch, an' married some neighbor boy, an' had lots a little rugrats, an' generally died a boredom. An' never met you." She drops her hands back behind her and smiles brightly up at him. "So think a that next time ya tell me ta do the safe thing."

"Phbt, you make it sound like all that's good stuff. I still be tellin' ya that you could do better. But Noooo, you refuse to listen to me." Bishop responds before reaching over and grabbing a rolled up pair of socks to wing at Ashlyn.

Direct hit! Ashlyn takes the sock roll to the side of the head with an exaggerated cry of shock, pretending to keel over from the force of the missile. She grabs a pillow of the bed and takes a swing with it at her 'attacker,' laughing.

To the face the pillow flies, Bish's face that is. Thud, smack, oof. Shaking off the strike, he looks beyond and around the pillow towards Ashlyn. "So any idea on when we're actually going to do this thing?"

"Thing?" Ashlyn's mind may switch tracks fast, but switching from 'beat by fiance into submission with a fluffy object' to 'getting married to said boy' takes a moment. "You mean the weddin'?"

"Well I meant launching the ship but sure, the wedding works too." Bishop responds with a sly grin to indicate the fact that he probably meant the weddin' thing.

"Well the answer ta both is 'soon,'" Ashlyn says, holding the pillow between both hands and whumping back onto her back on the bed. "At least one would hope, cause I already booked all the places that need bookin' an' don't feel the need ta go through an' reschedule it all. An' I kinda like ya an' wanna marry ya, ya know," she adds so offhandedly that that last is probably the weight-carrying reason for her hopes of 'soon.'

"Well, what we lookin' at with soon? I gotta let some folks know afterall. Well not a lot of folks I suppose. Just a few here and there. But still..." Bishop bites his lower lip and actually looks mildly nervous as he speaks.

Ashlyn readily offers the requested dates, as she shoves the pillow off her chest and folds her arms behind her head. "Plenty a time still ta get people out." She pauses as she looks up at him. "I uh, ain't met yer parents yet," she says, a touch of worry in her own voice.

"Yeah. That's... well Y'know." Bishop bites his cheek interiorly for a moment and then coughs. "It'll happen just uhm, it wont' be pretty. They don't much care for me, and honestly despite everything they probably won't like ya cause you ain't her."

Ashlyn rolls onto her hip and props her head up on her palm, looking up at him with concern. "Well, you don't gotta invite them." She swings her legs over the side of the bed and reaches out to wrap his arms around his waist and snuggle up against him with a smile. "But not matter what happens, no one can ruin how happy I am. I want you ta know that."

"Aw, I know doll." Jason says softly. "I mean, I know. And you know the same is true for me. I ain't even into the whole things bein' perfect but..." He's about to say something else when his Email thingy bleeps at him. "Oh hey..." He picks it up an skims it. "Ash, I think I got a line on one of those parts we was lookin' for, I'm gonna go try to get it, k?"

Ashlyn nods as she lets him go. "You get ta finish whatever came after 'but' when you get back," she says with a smile, letting herself fall back into the mattress. as she watches him leave.

Fri, 09 May 2008 22:16:48 GMT

IC Time: May 9, 2518

Ashlyn wanders up into the common room with a small cardboard box under one arm. She covers a loud yawn with her hand, nearly dropping the box in the process, which she scrambles to catch as she reaches the table, setting it safely on the surface. Anyone bothering to prod at the shipping information on the side of the package would see it was shipped from Paquin from some company of a name so entirely nondescript, no real guess could be made as to the buisness. Abandoning it to the table, she turns and makes her way to the couch, flopping down into it sleepily.

"Tired?" Asks a voice from there in the commons, the source of it coming from halfway behind a pulled out panel where the oh so sneaky Bishop is located. His head is peeking out towards Ashlyn and the sight of a saudering iron can be seen in his hand as he is apparently 'working'.

Delilah flounces into the Commons, a coffee mug in her hand and a notepad in the other. She's looking way, way too chipper for the amount of time she's eeen awake as compared to the amount of coffee she's drank. "Mornin'!" she announces brightly at seeing Ashlyn and Bishop. "Today I'm gonna make us whatever's in our pantry an' fridge, an' then I'm gonna go shoppin' fer foodstuffs. An' then I'm gonna make cookies. An' maybe some iced tea. An' I might even go get my hair cut, an' I'm gonna invent a new coffee drink, an' ain't it pretty outside?" She's practically glowing. "What're you guys doin' today?" she asks as she crosses to the sink.

"Well, I /was/ up all night," Ashlyn says with a smirk, slinging one arm across her eyes to block out the light. "Finished everthin' I been puttin' off gettin' done fer the weddin'." She slips her feet out of her shoes and props one foot up on the coffee table, yawning again. Lifting her arm up just slightly she peers at Bishop with a slight smile. "Whatcha workin' on?" As Delilah bounds in, Ashlyn chuckles softly and heaves herself back to her feet, leaving her boots abandoned and crossing the room to Bishop in her socks. "Me I was just gonna relax fer a while," she tells Delilah, stiffling another yawn, but grinning the whole time.

Bishop motions with his hand to the corner of the commons above where he's working, "Finishin' wirin' the intercoms through the ship... and installing disco lights everywhere." He adds the last with a grin. Ironic how he makes no mention or indication of the various 'wedding plans' that Ashlyn has been partaking in. Looking over at Delilah he actually grins though, "I made a coffee booze drink once. I called it the Alzheimers. You drank a shot to forget last night, then another shot to wake up again."

Delilah laughs at Bishop and winks. "Well, I'm lookin fer somethin' without the added likker part," she grins. "Wanted ta make somethin' with caffeine only cold, so's we can take it outside in the heat." She, however, makes no mention of Bishop's disco light engineering. She moves to poke Ashlyn in her side, giggling as she does. "S'too early ta relax!" she jokes. "I'm glad yer workin' on weddin' stuff, though. Hey, speakin' of that...Bish, did ya pick out a best man yet?"

"As long as the disco lights clap on," Ashlyn says with a slow smile, reaching out to embrace him, deftly moving out of the way of an accidental burn from the soldering iron. "Good morning, Love," she yawns. She nods when Delilah mentions coffee. "I could certainly go fer some coffee this morning, though I just need the wakin' up, not the fergettin'." She's talking to Delilah, but her world is all Bishop. "Oof," Ashlyn grunts as she's poked. "Today might just be one a those lazy days. Ever think a that?" she chuckles.

Bishop gives Ash her dutifully delivered morning hug before smirking ever so slightly. "What makes you so certain Lilah it's gonna be a man?" HE asks it with a tilt of his head and a playful glint to his eyes. "Ye should know I don't do things the right way."

Delilah snerks and turns the water on in the sink, looking over her shoulder at Bishop. "Well, best man, best women, whatever. Don't matter ta me, I jus' gotta know who it is. Although, ya know, ya already got the best woman so's ya might as well jus' pick a man." She laughs at her own little joke and starts to wash her hands. "An' Ash, a lazy day? Ain't no such thing with a ship ta get off the ground an' a weddin' ta get ready for." She dries her hands off on a nearby towel and smirks. "Ya know...ya could always go wake up yer new XO and delegate him some duties. Sure would be nice ta have him up an' 'bout...fer productivity reasons, 'course."

"Productivity reasons, is it?" Ashlyn asks with a smirk. "A `course." She smooches Bishop on the cheek as she lets him go. "Don't got nothin' ta delegate anyway, seein' as the only thing left ta do is install some disco balls. But you feel free ta go wake him." She crosses over to the coffee pot and starts it running, leaning agianst the counter wiht a grin

"I swear, the next person to talk about the wedding is going to..." Bishop half mutters under his breath and glances around, wagging a finger before he crawls back into the wall to continue wiring, speaking out from behind it. "We ever find out what Suji got himself all into anyways?"

Delilah sputters a bit. "Oh, no, I don't think...probably wouldn't be proper fer me ta...I mean, not jus' waltz in his bunk..." She turns bright red and goes back to what she was doing, which seems to be emptying the pantry of everything inside of it. "He made a client mad," she offers over her shoulder helpfully to Bishop while lugging out a sack of potatoes in her arms.

Ashlyn chuckles a little toward Bishop as she watches him crawl back into the wall. An apraising look at his rear end might suggest contemplation of taking a swat at it, but that might not end so well what with the soldering. Instead she crosses back over to him and lets herself thump into the wall beside him and ooze into a sitting position. "Fine I won't mention it no more. An' if you show up in yer boxer shorts without brushin' yer hair fer the day, I'll still just be happy yer there." /Don't swat/. Ashlyn drops her hand innocently back onto her knee. "So, Del, What is it yer makin'?"

"What if I show up in your boxers? Does that count?" Bishop asks behind his wall. The zapping of the sauder is heard, followed by a yelp, a clunk and then a few moments later Bishop re-emerging. "Well... that's finished. And I only lost half an eyebrow this time." He says it while running a hand over his forehead. Looking over at Delilah he frowns, looks at Ash, then back. "Am I missing something?"

Delilah looks like she's swallowed a frog, trying really hard not to comment on the boxers situation. She seems to have to remind herself constantly this is not her wedding, it's Ashlyn's, and should they decide to get married naked, she'll just have to bite her tongue and be appalled. "I'm makin'...I - I don't know what I'm makin'," she responds. Caught offguard by Bishop's frowning gaze, she turns pink some more and attempts to hide behind the sack of potatoes.

Ashlyn grins, and as Delilah turns to rummage and Bishop flips off the soldering iron... /SWAT!/ Ashlyn didn't do that. No not at all. Can't you see how innocent she suddenly looks? "Suji asked Delilah ta come with him ta my weddin' as her date," she clarifies for Bishop.

"Yeow!" Bishop exclaims as his backside is swatted and he shoots AShlyn a look, then over to Delilah, then back to Ashlyn once more. "You mean /our/ wedding?" He inquires tilting his head and harumphs a bit. "Great. I'm not going to let them out cute us at our own wedding missy."

Out cute? Delilah snorts into her potatoes as she inspects them for black spots. "Ain't out cutin' anybody, Bish," she comments lightly. "It's jus' a date, that's all. Not lookin' ta be cute er anythin', jus' lookin' ta not have a horrible time." The look on her face gives everything away. Of course she wants them to be cute, of course she's wanting more than not having a bad time. This is /Delilah/. She wants a world more. "Jus' lookin' ta celebrate y'all's love," she adds innocently.

Ashlyn grins innocently at Bishop's look, offering up an I-didn't-do-nothin' shrug. "'Our' weddin'," she ammends with a soft smile and nothing but love in her eyes. "Guess we'll just have ta come up with somethin' special ta make sure we're cuter. I know. `Stead a a bouquet, I could bring a puppy." She grins, hoping that jokes about the wedding do not constitute talking about the wedding. She turns to look up at Delilah as she heaves herself to her feet. "Yer a horrible liar," she says fondly.

"Ash isn't lying Lilah, you're a horrific liar. I mean, really bad." Bishop says in confirmation before frowning. "And Ash, I'm not entirely sure that throwing a puppy around constitutes 'cuter' or not..."

Delilah gasps in possible mock shock. "I am not lyin'!" she protests, placing her hand on her chest. "I really am lookin' forward ta celebratin' yer love!" She's really pink now. "'Sides, y'all are fergettin' that I'm helpin' my Pa with the food, so it ain't likely there's gonna be much time fer cuteness, honestly. An' it's jus' a date!" She looks down at her feet for a moment, before popping an eye up to offer helpfully, "An' yeah, tossin' puppies's jus' mean, not cute."

"I'm already wearin' pink! Pink on a /dress/ even," Ashlyn exclaims to Bishop. "There's only so much cute I can accomplish!" She gestures to Delilah. "You want us ta out cute the two a them ya gotta give me somethin' ta go on." She grins, brushing her shoulder against Bishop's arm as she moves to the coffee pot, snagging two mugs on the way. "That ain't what yer lyin' about," she says to Delilah as she pours coffee into one of the mugs. "Coffee, Jason?" she asks, lifting her own mug to her lips. "You ain't just not lookin' ta have a horrible time," she ads back to Delilah.

"I'll pass Ash. Hey, both of you curious about uhm." Bishop trails off and shakes his head, "Nevermind. I'll talk to you later about it Ash." He smiles at Lilah. "So Delilah, Suji asked /you/ right? Youd idn't pull an Ash over this?"

Delilah's eyes are huge now. "We really ain't that cute," she protests again. "An' I really ain't lyin'!" She eyes Ashlyn as the coffee pours, tacking on, "Well, maybe I ain't /jus'/ not lookin' ta have a horrible time. But it's on the list." She grins, though she wrinkles her eyebrows in confusion at Bishop. "Pull an' Ash? Whaddya mean?"

Ashlyn nods to Bishop and sets her coffee back down on the counter, holding the unclaimed empty mug in Delilah's direction, wordlessly asking if she wants to lay claim to it before it goes back in the cupboard. "Cute as a basket a kittens," she teases. "He means I asked him out the first time."

"Wait, no no." Bishop says looking to Ashlyn, "You did no such thing. I asked you out... if I remember clearly. Right when I fell on my face, and at the dance. You just... popped the question. That's pulling an Ash."

Delilah grins some more. "Nah, he asked me right outta the blue," she replies. "Actually, he was workin' on some electric thing an' I came out with food an' he jus' kinda blurted it." She shakes her head at Ashlyn's offer of coffee. "No thanks, Ash. I figure I'ma have enough of it later when I make a new drink." She pauses for a moment, then says with a smirk, "Ya could always go get Suji an' see iffn' he wants coffee."

Ashlyn snickers. "You /hit on/ me an' fell over. /I/ asked /you/ to the dance," she grins as she sips her coffee. "Unless you were really bein' serious when ya talked `bout the naked bonfire dancin', cause if that's the case, then you did ask me out first, since askin' out generally implies the goin' a two people to a place." Well, as long as all that made sense to Ashlyn. She replaces the mug in it's cupboard. "Yes. Out of the blue," she agrees with Delilah, holding her mug in one hand and picking up the box she'd brought in with the other. "I'm gonna go put this away."

"Alright." Bishop says towards AShlyn in reference to the box packing. "Lilah? I'm going to actually slip off ship for awhile, make sure to lock it up behind me just... incase. I've seen folks snoopin' around lately cause I think people realizi'n we're all finished up or close to. Filthy pirates." The man grumbles.

Smooth

Sun, 04 May 2008 22:43:54 GMT

IC Time: May 04, 2518

Sitting on the hatch is Sujiko. For those who know him, sitting alone outside can mean only that he's eitehr tinkering with or fixing whatever's in his hand. And sure enough, that seems to be what he's up to. A circuit board of some kind sits on his lap, and solder and a soldering iron occupy his hands. Why he's doing this outside and not at a workbench in the engine room is anyone's best guess.

Delilah slowly tiptoes outside the hatch, a covered tray of food in her arms. She's headed straight for Sujiko, so it's likely she already knew he was there. She seems pre-occupied, but she smiles and calls out softly before she reaches him, "Ca - uhm. Sujiko? Suji?" Feetshuffle. "Are ya hungry? I made some food fer the crew but I don't rightly know where everbody's got themselves to, an' ya been out here fer a little while." There's another long pause as she shuffles her feet. "An' I wanted ta talk ta ya 'bout somethin'."

Ashlyn wanders out of the cargo bay not terribly far behind Delilah, stopping briefly as she spies Sujiko working outside. Her eyes cast up to the sky, probably assigning the reason for his forgoing of the engine room to the phenomenon of the 'nice day.' "`eya, ghuh-ghuh," she calls as she emerges from the shade of the cargo bay, for once in what may be a very long time not coated in grease, grime, or any other substance generally looked upon as some form of filth. She laughs a little to herself as Delilah speaks, but cants her head to one side. "Erm? Private conversation?" she asks before she has a chance to overhear something she might not be party to.

Sujiko's brow raises as he looks curiously. "Oh, thanks 'lilah," he says. "Yeah, tryin'a get this puppy here workin'. She ain't much, but she's 'spensive t' get fixed if'n ya' can't do it yerself." With a smile toward Ash, he glances back to Delilah briefly and offers a shrug. Whatever the conversation is, though, it's important to him enough that he turns of the soldering iron and puts down his work beside him.

Delilah shakes her head quickly when Ashlyn asks if it's a private conversation, and sits down next to Suji. "No, not really. I jus' wanted ta see what's goin' on with Ca -. Suji. I'm sorry," she lets out with a sigh. "I jus' have the hardest time not callin' ya Cap'n, which means I end up callin' ya Casuji every time I say yer name." She fiddles with the skirt of her sundress for a second and then continues. "All's I know is ya showed up an' ya said yer stayin' 'round, but I jus' wanted ta make sure ya ain't in trouble, or iffn' yer gonna be takin' over as Cap'n again or workin' under Ash or gettin' yer own ship." She lifts the cover off the food tray she brought out and steam rises from the meal, set out Asian style in many small serving dishes. A few noodle dishes, a few vegetable dishes, and one large bowl in the middle seems to be a form of General Tso's chicken. There are chopsticks on the side. "I really jus' wanted ta know how long yer gonna be with us," she admits as she sets the food tray down.

"Welp," Sujiko starts idly, shifting around and looking hungrily at the meal. "Dunno really. Ain't seen nothin' from the folks what were after me, but I'd like get'n my ship back. That means goin' and findin' 'em." He picks up the chopsticks and rearranges some things on his plate. "I 'sumed I'd go back t' work fer m'self, but I dunno how long 'til that happens, bein' as I don't got no way o' get'n around."

Delilah seems to deflate a little bit. "Oh," she says in a quiet voice. "I guess I thought ya meant ya were here fer good, when ya said you were stickin' 'round." She grabs one of the empty plates and holds it out to Ashlyn in a silent offer for food. "So, yer workin' under Ash fer now, but yer gonna be leavin' sometime soon fer good again?" Is that a tiny sigh? It just might be.

Ashlyn nods her head up toward the Compass at Sujiko's words, evidence that she is indeed doing more than zoning out to the tranquil beauty of the scrapyard. "Ship don't got so much more ta get done," she imparts. "Bet we're flyin' inside the week." She grins as she looks back down at Sujiko. "But I could break some stuff ta keep ya around longer," she offers. Dejection? Sigh? She looks over at Delilah, lifting one eyebrow, but weather the slight smile on her lips is faltering or restrained is anyone's guess. She nods eagerly at the offer of food, however and sits up a little straighter to take the offered plate.

Sujiko misses the disappointment quite completely. "Well I'll still visit," he says, scooping up some noodles and shoving them, only partially gracefully, into his mouth. "Y'er all m' friends. Ain't like I'ma dissappear off an' never see none o' ya' ever again." He smiles, totally oblivious to the fact that there might be serious wishes for him to stay. "Why ya' ask?"

"Even if one were to dismiss the moral ramifications of such a procedure, there are still the hurdles of the physical anatomy to consider. First and foremost, the circulatory system could not sustain such a shock both from blood loss and.." The doctor's voice drifts off as she comes around the corner of a junk heap, circling back to the ship. Either her conversation or her mere dictation no longer seems appropriate once Lu spies the 'crew' hanging out on the ramp.

"Yeah, well, we only got ta see ya like twice the whole time you were gone fer schoolin'," Delilah mumbles sadly. "It's jus' kinda nice havin' ya back, is all. Like the old days an' everythin'." She gestures to the food tray near her and Suji, letting Ashlyn know she's free to eat whatever she wants. "Y'all want some tea?" she asks, grinning when Lucinda rounds the corner. "I really oughta let her steal my clothes more often," she giggles.

Ashlyn rolls onto her toes and leans forward to load a little of the food onto her plate from the serving tray, seemingly fairly deft with chopsticks, thought it seems half her attention is on Delilah, as she does so. She leans back and reassumes her spot lounging against the side of the cargo bay, casting around for something. Her eyes light up as she spies an old newspaper sitting inside the cargo bay, probably cast off by someone working on the interior. Balancing her plate on her knee, digs a pen out of one of her pockets and appears to start scratching out words on the crossword puzzle as she eats. After a moment she turns to Sujiko and clears her throat.

"Well tha's true," he admits to Delilah. He grabs a piece of chicken and chews thoughtfully on it. "I do reckon I miss you all a bit," he says. Beyond that, however, he doesn't seem to have any defense for leaving again, and so he busies himself with another bite of noodles. She looks up with a grin. "'eya Lu," he says.

Lucinda has missed the clothes comment, otherwise it might illicit a blush from the woman. The only thing she seems to get embarrased about is her propriety. "Sujiko." She greets, then, "Delilah. Ashlyn." She tucks her PDA into one of the back pockets of the borrowed jeans. She really should get around to returning those at some point. "Lovely afternoon for a picnic." Even if the meal doesn't particularly qualify.

Delilah beams over at Lu, though it's hard to tell if she's beaming because Sujiko said he misses the crew, or because she's glad to see Lucinda. "It is an awfully pretty day," she agrees. "Want some food? I made it jus' bit ago but when I came out, couldn't find nobody but Suji here. Seems easiest way ta find y'all is ta open a tray of food an' let the smell spread." She grins and offers Lu an empty plate as well. "Iffn' y'all want tea I can run in an' get it," she adds. "Hey, Ash says we could be outta here in less than a week!"

Ashlyn frowns and narrows her eyes mock-scornfully at Sujiko. She takes another bite of her food, then very not so inconspicuously clears her throat and ruffles the old newspaper she holding resting against her other knee. She looks up as Lucinda announces herself and smiles brightly. Maybe even a little mischievously.

Sujiko nods. "Ain't a lot more t' do 'fore she's spaceworthy," he agrees. "I'm all set fer tea 'nless someone else wants some, thanks 'lilah," he says. Beyond that, though, he seems to be thinking about something important, as his attention is on the empty space between his face and Delilah's blouse. That is to say that it would not be a far stretch to mistake him for staring at her chest.

Lucinda declines the offer of food with nothing than a brief smile. "If we are off in the next week or so, then I have much to do. If you all will excuse me." As she passes by Sujiko, perhaps she notices where his gaze was directed. Either that or she's just clumsy as she passes by and 'accidently' toes him with her boot.

Delilah looks over at Ashlyn when she clears her throat, though she's oblivious to anything subtle going on there. "D'ya know where we're headin' first, Ash?" she asks eagerly. "Wouldn't happen ta be Newhall, would it?" She smiles innocently and turns to Suji. "D'ya got a tux? Cuz I'm takin' Bish out here soon...ta...get..." She trails off slowly, tracing his gaze back down to her dress's neckline and begins to blush a light pink.

Ashlyn sets the plate of food aside so it doesn't risk tipping when she lets her forhead whack into her knee as her 'Hey, Suji, look over here!' is missed for the second time. She raises her head and shuffles rather loudly about in the interior of the paper until she finds one of those irritating fold-in adds. Crumpling it in one hand, she leans back and beans Sujiko in the back of the head with it as Delilah looks away from her. "Oh, Newhall's certainly on the route somewhere in there," she says distractedly.

Sujiko looks up at Lu as he's toed, but writes it off as accidental and looks back to Delilah as she speaks to him. "Hmm?" he pauses. "No, I don't got one. Oughta' get that done." Finally he notices that there's some sort of communication that he's been missing. "What?" FINALLY, he looks over at Ash in confusion.

Delilah just stares blankly at Sujiko as he looks at Ashlyn, her cheeks getting more pink by the minute. Something appears to be occuring to her for the first time, judging by the look of realization on her face. "Yeah, Newhall," she murmurs, not really using all her brain currently. "Suji, where are ya from?"

Nonchalantly, Ashlyn returns her attention to her newspaper as Sujiko looks over at her, folding it inside out as if she's moving on to reading the other side of it. Only not so much, it seems. Written across the top of last week's crossword puzzle in purple ink are the words 'Ask her to accompany you to my wedding'. Then Ashlyn continues leafing through the paper and the words are quickly covered up. The young woman is practically shuddering with suppressed laughter by this point however, her eyes very astutely on an article in the paper, and her lower lip caught between her teeth as if trying to trap the laughter before it can escape. "Nothin'," she giggles as the verbal answer to his 'what.' The word barely makes it out.

Sujiko looks between Ash and Del, his eyes growing only slightly wider as things click together. He manages to forget that a noodle is still hanging from his mouth. "Newhall," he says, slurping up the last of the noodle. "Born 'n raised. Pa' us'ta work at th' shipyard." He looks again to Ash with a blank expression that might imply something along the lines of 'holy cow seriously?'

Again, Ashlyn's giggling is completely lost on Delilah as she crinkles her eyebrows and looks blankly at Suji some more. "Is yer Pa still there?" she asks, flipping her hair back and tucking it behind her ears absentmindedly. "I actually don't think I know anythin' 'bout you afore you were our Captain."

Ashlyn considers over the crossword again, scratching her chin with the pen cap for effect before scribbling something down. Once again under the guise of flipping pages and not participating in the conversation, she flashes the paper in Sujiko's direction again. This time written below 'Ask her to accompany you to my wedding' are the words 'Trust me'. And still the suppressed laughter continues as tears begin glittering in the corners of her eyes.

Sujiko swallows. "Uh, no," he says idly, scooping up another bite of noodles. "He was in an accident 'bout time I was eight an' died." He shrugs and swallows, following with yet another bite. "Ain't got no family alive no more, actually. Mum had a heart attack a while back an' m' little sis'..." he trails off, pushing his noodles around in their bowl. "Hey you ain't found no feller t' go to Ash's weddin' yet have ya'?" he asks, changing the subject in a not-so-very-graceful manner.

The abrupt topic change catches Delilah completely offguard and she sits still for a moment, blinking in confusion. "Ash's weddin'?" she asks, as if this were the first she's heard of it. "Well...no," she admits slowly. "I mean, I ain't met nobody but Ryan here an' I ain't keen on spendin' anymore time with him, an' I thought 'bout askin' Torres but I'm pretty sure he's gonna take Lu now, an' I guess I was thinkin' I should look fer someone when we get ta Newhall or jus' get used ta the idea of goin' alone, an' anyway this ain't the old times, woman oughta be 'lowed ta go on her own iffn' she ain't got a date without startin' rumors an' the like. I mean, it don't mean nothin' 'bout the girl, right, jus' could mean her situation were awful, like bein' stuck on a planet with nobody but boys what think they carry yer groceries home fer ya an' then ya gotta meet their Ma." She's so full of panic and nervousness, she's fulltilt rambling to cover for it, and she's not doing a good job. "Why do you ask?" she asks in a little voice, once she's stopped to breathe.

The story of Sujiko's family has a somewhat sobering effect on Ashlyn, though the only noticeable reaction from behind the newspaper would be the slow abating of the shaking as she stops laughing. For now she steps back from the conversation as no further ruffling announces her penning secret messages, and she picks up her plate again, picking at it a little more gracefully that Sujiko is managing.

"Yeah," Sujiko says. "Uh, just wondering," he shrugs and consumes the last piece of chicken. "'cause I mean... I don't got nobody t' go with neither, bein' as I been busy an' not out much." He steals another glance up at Ash. "An' was jus' wonderin' if'n you'd wanna' go." He pauses. "I mean, 'course you're goin', but I mean like with me." He pauses again. "Or... 'cause we'll both be there an' not with nobody else, I mean to say as m' date. Fer the weddin'."

"As...as yer date?" Delilah stammers, the light pink on her cheeks still present. "I mean, are ya askin' me ta be yer date, or are ya askin' me /on/ a date? Cuz those are two very different things an' I feel like it jus' might be somethin' we oughta clarify afore...well. Y'know." She peers at him intently, trying to decide something. "My Pa asks 'bout you every time we talk," she offers helpfully after thinking for a moment. "I ain't told him anythin' cuz of you sayin' there were guys after ya, but I jus' thought I'd mention...he asks 'bout ya."

Ashlyn scribbles something on the crossword again and 'checks the back page' displaying the word 'Smooth' emblazoned across the paper for a moment. Knowing Ashlyn that might not even be sarcastic. She finishes the last few bites of her food and stands up, folding the words on the paper away and leaving it where she found it. "Think I'll just go see what Bishop's up to," she says, excusing herself and throwing a wink in Sujiko's direction as she makes her way back to the stairs in the cargo bay. "See ya `round!" Barely, just barely, managing to choke back a giggle, she hops into the cargo bay and the sound of her boots fade away up the stairs.

I would make a very wonderful supervillain.

Thu, 01 May 2008 21:11:40 GMT

IC Time: May 01, 2518

The cockpit of the Compass is not the rats nest of wires it was three weeks before. In fact aside from the tarnish on the metal plating of the deck, the Compass might have just rolled off the assembly line. Ashlyn's presence in the room is marked by the soft electric zap of a soldering iron followed by a short excited laugh as she scoots back out of an open console beside the pilot's seat and sits up, knuckling her back with a grin.

"Ashlyn.... This is the voice of God.... what are you lauuuughing at....?" The voice is deep and disembodied, and clearly coming over an intercom system as Bishop is standing a few paces off trying to look inconspicuous with the microphone in one hand, and a screwdriver in the other.

Ashlyn does have to take a moment to figure out why Bishop's voice is coming from two places at once, first looking up at the intercom, then over at Bishop with a grin. She shoves the heavy metal plate covering the guts and innards of the console back into place as she replies over her shoulder. "I'm laughin' `cause the ship's gonna be in the air within the next week," she says with a grin. She leaves the plate just leaning in place for now as she stands up and brushes her hands off on her pants, leaving a soft grey smear of dust on the tan fabric. "Even /I/ was beginin' ta think I just might a bought a junker," she adds with a wink.

"You did buy a junker Ash. It's just... you fixed her up real good. Well, you had some help but most of us couldn't fix a toaster without a manual." Bishop responds with a smirk on his lips. "But ya really think in a week? Still feels like there oughtta be a lot left ta do."

Ashlyn rubs her thumb across her chin as her eyes cast up to the ceiling. "The reactor's patched up, the engine's rebuilt, hull's insulated an' welded, internal computer system's runnin', life support's all fixed, an'..." She half turns to pat the console she's just crawled out of, "The navcomp /should/ be workin' again. Not calibrated, but I /think/ it'll turn on now." She grins. "An' lets just keep that I bought a junker `tween you an' me," she adds conspiratorially.

"Uhm, why would I keep that secret?" Jason asks straightening up some with a sly grin in his eyes. "That is good blackmail material right there, y'know? That you got taken for a ride by some salesman... see, way I figure, this will get me out of a lot of trouble. Bishop! Why did you crash the ship into that building? Hey... at least I didn't buy a junker."

Ashlyn reaches into her pocket with a smirk and withdraws her PDA as she leans back against the pilot's chair. "Now see, that'd be a excellent reason not ta go spreadin' that information about. See, what good is blackmail if everone knows about it?" she asks with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "`Sides. If yer gonna talk blackmail, I'll put this all o'er the Cortex." She holds up her PDA with the file Lucinda so graciously provided her with the previous summer of Bishop passed out on the Grace's couch with a villainous mustache inked on his face.

"See... that..." Bishop points out with a finger, "That's because I got drunk and passed out, that wasn't a choice." He nods his head stately. "Besides, it speaks quiet baffingly of you that you're going to hitch up with such a villainous creature as that." He tilts his head, "I would make a very wonderful supervillain."

"Yes well," Ashlyn says with a smirk, "We'll just see how many pageviews 'ashboughtajunker.com' gets in comparrison to 'drunkenbishopphotos.com'." She drops the PDA back into her pocket as she walks over to him, linking her arms gently around his neck. "No you wouldn't," she says with a smile. "You're too darn sweet. How would you ever tie me up ta the train tracks, huh?" She lifts up on her toes and kisses his cheek lightly.

"Well, the first issue is the distinct lack of trains. And wouldn't you be my evil sidekick? You know, black leather, things like that?" Bishop asks tilting his head and letting arms wrap. "So let's say hypothetically you get this ship up in a week. Then what?"

Ashlyn chuckles softly. "Black leather?" she asks, raising one eyebrow. "Lets save that fer the honeymoon." At the second question she looks up as if gazing beyond the hull of the ship, her eyes scanning for a moment in search. "Then? Well, I suppose we go on doin' what we've done, hopefully with a notable lack a bein' shot up, until we decide ta do somethin' else." She shrugs a little sheepishly as her eyes come back to his. "I really wasn't makin' any plans aside from just doin' what makes me happy, ya know? Why? Do you got somethin' in mind?"

"Not really, just wanted to make sure we were both on the same page, to see if ya had anything cookin' in that head of yours." Jason replies softly with a slight twinkle in his eyes. "Just... you know, making sure I won't wake up one day on some remote location with a shotgun being pointed at me."

Ashlyn nods sagely. "Yeah, it's moments like /that/ I'm hopin' ta avoid from here on," she says, snuggling up against him before letting him go and stepping back with a grin. "I like excitement an' all, but I could do without any shootin' fer a long while." She nods back toward their room. "Think I'm gonna wash up," she says, her smile turning a little mischievous and one eyebrow raising up slightly as she turns without any further words towards their quarters.

It ain't rocket science, woman.

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:58:24 GMT

IC Time: April 10, 2518

The cockpit of the Compass looked like a slowly corroding monument to a post-apocalyptic junkworld not two days ago. Today it looks like a jungle. Every surface or surface-like space available is strung with multi-coloured wires of what may be hundreds of makes and functions. Nestled amidst the wires at seemingly odd intervals are circuit boards, their gold wiring inlaid into their green, purple and blue surfaces adding to the visual noise. It is from somewhere within this mass that the unmistakable sound of zip-ties being secured can be heard, and close inspection would find Ashlyn almost literally buried in the mess, half way inside a section of the flight controls, the panel usually barring entry to the ship's innards lost somewhere under the wiring. Every now and then the sounds are punctuated by the soft 'snap' of an electric soldering iron turning on and off.

Cid appears at the doorway to the cockpit, leaning against it with a hand. It takes him a moment to realize just where Ashlyn is amid the electrical debris, and that draws a smile from his scarred face. "Hey," he says to the moving pile of wires under the console with the two feet sticking out from under it, "I finished that last bit on the pulsar monitor. Got anythin' else unskilled labor can do?"

Delilah pokes her head inside from just outside the door, standing next to Torres. Her expression looks mournful. "I jus' got a WAVE from my Pa," she sighs. A personal PDA is waved in the air, as though to offer proof of this statement. "He says he's sick with the flu, he's makin' travel 'rangements for yer weddin', an' he wants ta know iffn' he'll be havin' any granbabies soon." She slumps against the door. The wiring jungle is lost on her. "What are y'all doin'?"

"Really?" Ashlyn asks toward Cid. "We'll be outta here sooner'n I thought!" She scoots out of the console, which seems to have some kind of portable illumination somewhere inside of it as once she's out of the way, a soft yellow glow eminates from within. She has a soldering iron in one hand, and her pockets are filled with zip ties. "Um... you know how ta re-wire a console?" At Delilah's mournful expression in conjuction with her mentioning a WAVE from Lilac, Ashlyn stiffens, but seems to visibly relax as the story comes out. "Oh, jeeze Del, for a minute I thought ya were `bout ta say somethin' `bout..." She doesn't finish the thought with 'reavers' but the word very nearly hangs in the air. "Fixin' up the flight controls. Wouldn't do ta have everthin' workin' but no way ta use it," she explains with a grin.

Cid turns to Delilah, eyes narrowed in seeming bemusement at her mood. "So, your pappy wants grandkids so bad he'll take anybody's?" Pause for thought. Practical thought. "Heck, I'll help ya," he murmurs as he looks aside. "Might help ta ask Lu first, but knowin' her, wouldn't be surprised she said 'yes'. Practical woman, that one." In reply to Ashlyn, Cid shakes his head. "Never done that before. I can zip-tie somethin' fierce though."

Ashlyn hooks her thumb toward the tangles mess beneith the console she's just vacated, the left half carefully secured in bundles, while the right half resembled nothing more than a rat's nest of cables and wires. "S'a good skill ta have," she says to his zip-tying ability. "Gotta be able ta reach in there an' still be able ta get my hand out again," she says. At Delilah's reaction to Cid's words, she simply sits there amid the mess and watches curiously.

Cid folds his arms across his chest, leaning his shoulder against the doorway now. A smirk is cast Ashlyn's way before it's wiped off for something more nonchalant. "You want me ta make sense outta them wires," he says to Ashlyn, "just tell me where ya want 'em. I can do the rest." Looking askance at Delilah, Cid shrugs easily, goading, "It ain't rocket science, woman. Ya get a room, find a feller who's nice enough ta look at, wrestle in bed for as long as it takes, and, presto, bun inna oven."

"/Miya!/" Delilah hisses again, her eyes wide, her face pale, and her cheeks coloring in embarrassment. "Ya know I ain't like - don't ya? I mean, I thought, but then you said, an' now it's all...wrestle in bed?!" She gapes for another moment before starting again. "I don't wanna wrestle in bed! I wanna be with somebody what loves me an' thinks I'm the greatest thing in all the world, not somebody what I can tolerate lookin' at!" Giving a sideways glance to Ash, she takes a step forward and hisses once more, only this time at a much lower volume level. "Are you askin' fer me ta do /that/ with ya?!"

Might be I'll talk t' Cid 'bout seein what we can cook up

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:21:22 GMT

IC Time: April 9, 2518

============[The Scrapheap]=====================[Assam City - Boros]==========
Built into a towering, heaped mound of scrap, several narrow cargo containers converge on a central container. Doorways have been cut out with plasma torches and sheet metal has been welded to join one container to the next. The floors, walls and ceilings are rust-stained in rivulets and flaking at the joints. Bare halogen bulbs are suspended from the ceiling, a cable looping from one to the next in a line leading back to a singular power source.

The furnishings are improvised from salvage out of the junkyards and tables are often nothing more than upturned crates, with smaller crates, or occasionally a ripped out jumpseat, serving as chairs. The bar is set across the entrance to one of the adjoining containers and appears to be constructed from an entire flight console.
==============================================================================

Delilah wanders into the bar, making a face and scrunching her nose at the cloud of smoke. Looking really out of place in a plain white tank top and skirt, she tiptoes to the counter timidly and begins asking the bartender various questions about his bourbon stores. It seems the Compass crew is having bourbon chicken for dinner tonight - if Dela can figure out the right kind of bourbon to cook with.

Lucinda follows Delilah, though her steps are a bit more hesitant which usually occurs when Lucinda enters a public place. At least she's been here before, and knows a bit what to expect. The antibacterial gel is still drying on her hands.

Ashlyn looks just as out of place wandering in behind Delilah, not a usual denizen of bars, either, it seems. She approaches the bar with a little more confidence than the cook and doctor, at least. The flight console-turned-bar seems to warrant more attention than the alcohol behind it, however, as she steps up beside Delilah, tapping the machinery with her fingertips as she settles against it, watching to see if for some novelty reason any part of it remains active. At a pause in Del's questioning, she catches the bartender's eye with a small wave, already drawing a crumpled dollar bill out of her pocket. "Can I have a cola?" she asks before turning to the rest of the crew. "Anyone else want somethin'?"

Sujiko enters the bar last, admiring the... architecture? It's a little more grungy than he's used to as of late, but it doesn't bother him terribly. "'m all set for now," he replies to Ash. His hands get shoved in his pocket, and he follows after the others.

Delilah sneaks a look at Ash with a grin as she pokes at the counter, but she quickly snaps back and focuses on the bartender as he comes up with apparently the correct kind of bourbon for cooking. Money is exchanged, and Delilah turns back around to survey the room while Ash gets her cola and Suji and Lu are noticed. "Y'all wantin' ta hang 'round?" she asks.

Lucinda fishes in a pocket of the jeans she's still holding hostage from Delilah, pulling out a credit chit. "I'll have the same, a cola." At least she doesn't insult the establishment by insisting it come in a sealed-by-the-manufacturer container. No no, she learned her lesson last time. Seeming how its either hang out at the bar, or return to the ship for more work, the choice is clear. "I am content with whatever everyone else chooses." Deflection for the win.

Ashlyn accepts the cola from the bartender, nodding to Sujiko as he turns down the offer to buy something. "Fer a moment, maybe," she offers Delilah and Lucinda. "I ain't never been here b'fore. We ain't in a rush, are we?" she asks. The looks she gives the alcohol Delilah orders is reminiscent of someone studying a strange bug they've never encountered before which may or may not be the unfriendly kind loaded with pincers and stingers. But like all things food related, she's more than content to simply trust in Delilah's judgment.

Sujiko shrugs. "I ain't in no hurry," he says. "If'n we're stayin' I might jus' have somethin' after all." He doesn't order yet, though, and instead waits for the consensus of the others.

Delilah inspects her bottle of bourbon as well, frowning as she does so. "Guy said it were good fer cookin', an' ta save the rest fer the worst night of my life. 'Parently it's good fer curin' heartache." She beams, not having had a drop of alcohol in her life. "I think they got food here, too," she adds, glancing behind her to look for menus. "Iffn' anybody's hungry. I ain't been ta the market yet, there ain't much lunchtype food on ship. I can't vouch fer the food, but it's gotta be a sight better'n those vendors what sell fer a day an' then pack up an' move on." She grins and plops into a bar stool, never mind that it's likely filthy and she's wearing white. "Least here iffn' they make somebody sick, they'll be here ta deal with the person the next day."

Lucinda smiles as politely as possible as her cola is delivered, blissfully in the can. She taps the top a few times with one of her perfectly manicured and very short nails, before cracking open the tab to release a hiss of carbonation. "I have nothing to hurry back for." She answers Ash's possibly rhetorical question. But as to lunch, she declines with a shake of her head. Its enough that she's mentally recalling everyone's medical charts to confirm they are current on tetanus shots, risking actually /eating/ here would be too much.

The fact that Ashlyn is actually agreeable to stopping for a minute to procure eat is suggestive of one of two things: The ship is almost ready to lift off, or the ship is so far from being repaired that she's finally decided there's no reason to work to the point of starving herself. "Maybe somethin' ta go then?" she suggests, looking up at the menu. "Like some grilled cheese sandwiches or some burgers?" She looks to the crew for some kind of yay or nay on that as she sips her cola. She continues to eye Delilah's bottle of alcohol warily. "I think I'd trust aspirin more," she offers to it's reputed headache cure.

Looking around at his surroundings, Sujiko seems unkeen at the thought of having grilled cheese from such a place, let alone a burger. "I'ma jus' have a beer I think," he says. "Don't need nothin'a eat." He leans on the bar and looks over at Delilah's bottle of alcohol. "'s a mighty big thing o' liquor," he comments. "Reckon it might cure more'n a headache the looks o' it. Might be a right shiny cure fer consciousness, too."

Delilah starts to grin at Lu, but her smile gets brighter when she realizes that Lu is still wearing the clothes she borrowed from Dela. "How's those jeans fit, Lu?" she asks with a wink. Ashlyn and Suji get a look of confusion as she clarifies, "Nah, he said it would cure heartache, silly, not headaches. Far as I know, it'll jus' give ya a headache, not cure it." Swirling around on the stool, she beams at the bartender. "Can Ash an' I see a menu?" she asks, completely excited at the prospect of eating food that is unlikely to be puppies. "We might be gettin' a cheeseburger. Beef burger, I mean. Cow. Moo?"

The bartender just blinks.

Lucinda lowers her chin just a bit, her loose hair partially obscuring a face that is touched by a light blush at Delilah's question. "Just fine, thankyou." All in all, Lucinda finds them too tight, but she would never complain. Besides, others haven't either. "I should see about buying some of my own...appropriate clothing." Egads, she's contemplating owning something other than knit sweaters and trousers. "You know, heartache, otherwise known as Acute Stress Cardiomyopathy is an actual medically proven condition." She says, offhandley, before sipping her soda.

"'ll have a beer," Sujiko requests, paying little mind to girl talk, and smirking only when Lucinda, not unlike himself on occasion, finds herself living and breathing her profession. He waits in quiet bemusement as the bartender wanders off to fetch him a beer, and returns moments later. "Thanks," Sujiko says, handing over a few bills.

Delilah accepts the menus as Suji gets his beer, and she wrinkles her nose at him while looking over the food quickly. "What's that taste like, Suji?" she asks. "Anytime I've smelled it, it smells awful." Wait. Did Lu just mention clothes shopping? On her own? "Really, Lu?" Delilah marvels. "I...could take ya shoppin' iffn' ya wanted? I think you'd look awful nice in some kinda red..."

Lucinda was actually happier talking about the health implications of 'broken heart syndrome' but, alas, Delilah runs with the former topic. "I would like your company, yes. As well as your imput. I'm afraid I'm never quite sure what will allow me to 'fit in' more appropriately. A male opinion would be preferable as well, but not Torres. He's biased." She even smiles slightly this time.

Sujiko takes a swig of his beer, and makes a face that seems to suggest it's not incredible. "'bit like piss," he says, looking at the bottle and taking another swig, the face this time a little bit less pronounced. He avoids the bartender's gaze, realizing that he's still standing right there, but the man doesn't seem to mind. It's not hns beer, after all. "'s good if'n ya' like the sort o' thing."

Ashlyn grins at Lucinda claims of Torres being biased. The rest of the crew might be put off by the dubious sanitation of a bar literally made from trash, but Ashlyn seems rather indifferent. "Can I get a grilled cheese sandwhich, too?" she asks, laughing a little at the description of the taste of beer. The bartender nods and barks something toward the carco crate making up the back room behind the bar where presumably the kitchen is located. "An' that's why I still just order cola, she says back to Sujiko as she hops up on a ratty barstool and futzes with the straw in her drink. She eyes Lucinda up and down. "Well, I ain't much fer fashion, but I think green might suit ya more'n red." Said the girl who generally looks like a walking colour explosion.

Lucinda wrinkles her nose at all these conflicting color opinions. "And I suppose black and grey are going to be off-limits? What about a nice blue?" She offers, that color of course being that of the scrubs she tends to wear when operating. Nothing like sticking with what you know.

"Don't see nothin' wrong with blues," Sujiko comments, referring to his own blue polo. Though it'd be a bit misleading to refer to Sujiko as a fashion expert, he doesn't come off as entirely unpresentable. "'less there's somethin' 'bout yer eyes or somethin'," he half mumbles, looking to Delilah who clearly knows more on the topic. "There a rule 'bout that?" he asks, taking another swig from his beer.

"Ain't no rule," Delilah explains, wrinkling her nose again at Suji's description of beer as pee. "Jus' think that girls with dark hair tend ta look good in red. Blue's good too, Lu." She surveys Lucinda thoughtfully. "But it'd need ta be a good blue color, not somethin' grey-blue. Somethin' ta bring out color in yer hair." She laughs as she asks the bartender for a cheeseburger and no fries. "M'not really an expert with clothes," she adds, "I jus' like 'em. An' I know with my hair, there's colors I can wear an' colors I can't. Suppose it's stuff ya learn when yer lookin' ta find menfolk what are attracted ta ya fer when ya want a husband." There it is, that topic again. "I hafta say, other'n boys wantin' their mothers ta meet new girls an' dark menfolk with good watermelons, this'd hafta be one'a the most borin' planets we ever been on."

Lucinda frowns slightly, "There is no blue in my hair." The statement is simple, concise, and as if Lucinda vehemently believes in it. "And I found Jonas pleasant." There. That's about all she needs to refute of Delilah's. Next her attention turns to Sujiko, as if she just -might- have something to add about the comparison of beer to urine. But thankfully her brain filters the comment out as 'impolite for casual conversation' so she just ends up starring blankly at the man.

Ashlyn chuckles at the whole exchange as a very greasy looking grilled cheese sandwhich arrives without ceremony beside her soda. "What's colours gotta do with..." she starts asking, looking entirely confused by Delilah's ascertation. "I mean colors is just colors. Wear one on the opposite side a the wheel ta make another color look brighter, an.." Here she gives up again, obviously as much a fashion expert as she is a food expert. To proove a stark point to that last she takes a bite of the sandwhich and looks like she actually enjoys it. "The /both/ a you should take Bishop out ta buy a tux," she says, looking like she's trying hard not to laugh at the image.

The sudden realization washes over Sujiko like the conclusion of a bad day with a faulty high-pressure hose. Bishop... in a tuxedo. Taking another sip of his beer, he seems to find the image just as amusing as Ashlyn does. "He gonna get all fancified?" A broad grin spreads across Sujiko's features. "There's gonna be pictures, ain't there?" His expression grows slightly more mischievous. "There better be."

"Oh, he'll be fancified, an' there'll be pictures," Delilah beams some more. "I'ma make sure of both of those things." She looks smug, like she's talking about climbing a high mountain, or cooking an incredibly difficult meal. Her cheeseburger arrives as well, and she's so busy looking proud of herself, she doesn't even give the grease a second glance as she bites into it. "Is too blue in yer hair, Lu," she confirms around a mouthful of food. "Jus' gotta find the colors ta highlight it. An' Ash, fer example, iffn' I wear red, it makes my hair look brown. Iffn' I wear purple or green, it looks real red. Jus' color stuff I learned long ago, I guess."

Lucinda is still frowning over the implication that there is blue in her hair. She's not that old, dammit. At the talk of wedding things overtakes the group, she goes back to the contemplation of her cola, and generally sips at it in an effort to finish it in perfectly measured time with everyone else in their group who is drinking. Wouldn't do to finish too early and be left without a drink, or have the others waiting on her if she takes too long. "Have you set a date yet?" She asks, because that's one of those things you're supposed to ask.

"Oh, if I gotta wear a dress, he's gotta wear a tux," Ashlyn says, taking another bite of her sandwich. She takes a minute to chew so she doesn't have to talk around the bite. "Well, I `magine there'll be photos. It's a weddin' after all. Why, ain't you gonna be there?" At that last she sounds a little upset at the thought that Sujiko might miss her wedding. She shrugs to Lucinda. "Summer. Or when the ship can fly again. Whichever comes second I guess. I don't think anyone'd wanna attend one held in the cargo hold in the middle of a junk maze." The sudden far off look that washes over her might suggest that she's actually giving the idea a thought, however.

Sujiko shakes his head. "Naw, 'course I'ma be there," he says. "Jus' wanna' make sure th' options o' blackmail are open." He shrugs. "Ya' know. Jus' in case." He must be teasing, but he seems quite serious as he takes another swig of his beer.

"Uhhh..." Delilah sputters, panicking at the look Ashlyn gets in her eyes. "No, no. Nobody would wanna attend one held in a cargo hold in the middle of a junk maze, yer right." She eyes her cheeseburger, because clearly, it's the burger's fault all her careful planning is about to go right down the drain. "Ship's really gonna take that long ta get flyin'?" she asks anxiously.

Lucinda ventures. "Can we afford a bit of outside help?" Of course such suggestions maybe blasphamy like someone else tinkering under the hood of your classic car. "Shipyards are better equipped to handle the massive overhauls at a quicker pace."

Ashlyn seems to let the idea go with Delilah's agreement that weddings are not to be held in an ancient ship's storage space. "I'll give everbody cameras," she tells Sujiko with a nod. "Though ain't gonna be much good fer blackmailin' if all a us got copies anyhow. If ya really want some compromising shots, y'all should throw hm a bachelor party." She nods definatively as if it's perfectly acceptable to help someone obtain blackmail oportunities of their dearest loved one. "Oh, it's almost done..." she says slowly. "It's mostly the wirin' in the flight console needs some work. The rest works, it just... ain't pretty. I'd like everthin' ta be in perfect order `fore we even try and touch off. An' we got that man, Ace, helpin' us, too. Don't think it should take too terrible long." The ship has of course been informed of the man's presence by this point.

Sujiko can't help but snort at Ash as he finishes off the rest of his beer. "Might be I'll talk t' Cid 'bout seein what we can cook up," he muses, glancing for a moment to Lu. She may, after all, object to Torres at a bachelor party. "Anyways." He slides the empty bottle away from himself and pushes off his stool. "Speakin' o' fixin', I'ma go see'f there's somethin' I can't do t' 'xpediate the process."

Delilah gulps down her response at the mention of a bachelor party and asks innocently instead, "How's Ace doin', anyways? Ain't got a chance ta meet 'im yet." She seems extremely relieved that the relocation of the wedding has been abandoned.

Lucinda slides her strategically empty soda can on the bar next to Suji's bottle. "I'll walk with you." She offers, or more or less invites herself along.

Lucinda also apparently has no opinion on Torres attending the bachelor party. Maybe she doesn't know that she should have formed one by now.

Ashlyn nods, quickly finishing her soda and popping the last of her sandwich into her mouth. "Sure, sure," she says to mention of continuing work on the ship, standing, and making to follow Sujiko and Lucinda. "Ace? Just spoke with him yesterday. Seemed a'ight, spoke `bout joinin' the crew maybe, but I was waitin' on him meetin' the rest a the crew at least." She nods to the door as if to say she's leaving if that's not obvious, and the conversation can continue as they walk.

You ask alot of questions.

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:34:43 GMT

IC Time: April 7, 2518

Underneath one of the broken consoles is Alice who is apparently trying to make herself useful by repairing the machine, her head and upper body hidden from view. Next to her is a small PDA with an old manual (in Chinese) on this particular bit of equipment. On the other side is a toolbox which the blonde gropes for tools blindly from. Every once in a while a very unladylike Mandarin curse can be heard floating up from underneath the console.

the sound of the heavy treads of Ashlyn's boots on the metal deck announces the small woman's presence before she arrives in the cockpit. If that hint is missed, though, another's not given for a handful of moments as she steps up behind the pilot's chair, folding her arms over the mouldering upholstery and silently watching Alice work. "Works better if ya praise her /an'/ cuss at her," she imparts finally, her fingers tangling in a twined and beaded braid, wrapping it about her fingers. "That the computer relay ta the astro-navigational hub yer buried in?"

"Yeah, I found a manual on the Cortex since we don't s-seem to have any--" *THUMP!* As Alice attempts to extradite herself from underneath the console, she bangs her head on the underside of it, eliciting a string of more unladylike curses. Alice eventually scoots out from the console, wincing and holding a hand to her forehead, her face smudged with carbon, "Ouch." She smiles weakly as she sits up, tossing a tool down into the toolbox, "Anyway, uh, I went on the Cortex to find manuals. I couldn't find any in the ship proper. I think the wiring is done right. The voltage is, anyway."

"I `magine any manuals have gone an' rotted away by now," Ashlyn admits with a slight nod as she lets go of the braid to settle both her hands back on the back of the chair. "But Bishop's got plenty a flight manuals back in our room if ya wanna use those." She hooks her thumb back toward the general direction of her quarters. "`Fraid I don't got no proper schematics. The engineer stuck with Matty when we split, an' I never did have much use for `em myself."

Alice pushes her glasses up her nose and offers a lopsided smile, "Flight manuals are probably not going to help much with repairing equipment, but I guess I can take a look. Actually, I was surprised I found what I did on the Cortex. I guess there must still be a lot of this model in the air." The girl then struggles to her feet and stretches before moving to sit down on one of the decaying seats. "So, um... Captian... I was wondering... what's our budget for repairing the Compass? I mean, she still needs a hell of a lot of work. Parts may be cheap here, but, y'know... they ain't free."

A grin spreads across Ashlyn's features at that last. "They already been payed fer," she says. "I bought one functionin' firefly, so `till she lifts off, we're free ta scavenge what we need." She pushes back off the chair and pulls a penlight from her cargo pocket, flipping it on as she approaches the spot Alice has recently vacated. As she drops down to her hands and knees to peer inside the console, she looks up over her shoulder at the other woman. "Ain't as I don't trust ya," she says, motioning with the pen light to Alice's handywork. "Just checkin' is all." She lets the light fall over the work slowly. "Well, fireflys're hard ta keep down. Ain't flashy, so there ain't many, but ain't a ship that'll lie down an' die without a fight, neither. I can draw up some schematics if ya need `em," she offers.

Alice's eyebrows arch in mild surprise, "Oh! Well. That's handy. Just being able to take what you need and everything." The girl shrugs her shoulders lightly as she leans back in the mouldering chair, "Reason I ask is that I thought I might be able to procure some business here on Boros. Local stuff." Alice's repair job, while not the best, is certainly serviceable. There are a few incorrect connections, though. The girl smiles wryly and nods twice, absently tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear, "Yeah, schematics would be good, if you could provide them. I've, er... I've never r-really worked on anything this... vintage."

Ashlyn flips over onto her back and quickly corrects the misplaced connections, drawing out a wireless soldering iron and a spool of silver solder from yet another one of her overburdened pockets. "Ground wire's gotta connect ta this here. Navcomp all feeds inta this relay, but this wire bypasses right ta here," she mutters. "So you said ya didn't have no formal trainin'?" she asks, her voice muffled by the console around her and punctuated by the quiet 'zap' of the iron securing the wires in place. "Business, eh? What kind?"

"Oh, no, I've had formal training," Alice replies with a lopsided grin, "I just wasn't -supposed- to get it. My parents didn't approve. Thought I should be spending my time on... other pursuits. What I'm missing mostly is practical experience." The blonde then shrugs her shoulders again, swinging her feet lightly, "As for the business, I donno. I would have to actually look around and see what's there. But the offer's open if you want me to make some inquiries. It won't be anything illegal, if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh, I ain't worried `bout that," Ashlyn says as she wriggles back out of the console. "Been a time're four the crew ain't ezactly been on the strictly legal side a the law," she admits, wiping her hands on her pants as she sits up. "Not as ta say we're proper criminals, but now an' again..." she shrugs lightly. "Ya do what ya gotta, ya know?" She looks up out at the stars visible beyond the monolithic hulks of scrap beyond the nose of the ship. "If you want some buisness on the side, I ain't against it at all," she says. "We ain't never been able ta pay too well."

"Well, I seriously doubt there's anything I can find that I can do on my lonesome," Alice replies matter-of-factly, "So unless someone wants, like, fencing lessons, dance lessons, or financial advice, there's not much I could really do by myself." She grins brightly, "Besides, I'm really not in this for the money. If I was, I would've just stayed home and been a good little girl. I just... really want to see the universe, you know?"

Ashlyn raps her knuckles on the metal of the console she's leaning against. "So do I." She seems to be telling this to the ship rather than Alice, however. "Don't think even in the years I been in the Black I been ta /half/ the planets I might a been." She raises her eyes to Alice. "So where /is/ it yer from?" she asks.

Alice hesitates a moment, squirming in the dilapidated chair. "Lon... Londinium," the girl eventually states quietly, "I'd never been off world until I just up and left a few weeks ago." Alice forces a smile, folding her hands on her lap, "What about you? Where are you from? And what planets have you seen in your time moving through the Black?"

"I like Londinium," Ashlyn states with a quirk of a smile. "What little I seen a it. Imaginin' ya mean places I set foot ta ground on, rather than just hung about long enough ta load cargo, been ta Ariel, Sihnon, Boros, Newhall, Santo, Paquin, Persephone, Lilac, Whitefall, Whittier, Three Hills, Jiangyin, Greenleaf, Ezra, an St. Albans." She ticks the planets off on her fingers, starting them over at the ten mark without hesitation. "Myself I was born on Hera, town called Seven Peaks. Grew up on a horse ranch."

Alice perses her lips tightly. "Londinium's okay, I guess. It's a l-little too crowded. Its hard to escape the constant noise and crush of people there. Even up in the skyscrapers, away from the Groundlings." Her eyes widen as the list of planets is given, the girl whistling low, "Wow, that's quite a lot of places you've been to. I've only been to Osiris, Persephone, and here. Well, and Londinium, too, but that's obvious." She pushes her glasses up on her nose and cants her head to one side, "You grew up on a horse ranch? what made you decide to go into the Great Void with the -- what was the ship called? Chaos Theory?"

"It's a story, that," Ashlyn says with a grin. "Never really got very interested in the horses. Wasn't gonna be my ranch, anyways. It was gonna be left ta..." There's a short pause. "My brother, James," she finishes. "I worked at my uncle's repair shop mostly. I was always bored, but machines're good at keepin' a body busy, `specially when they ain't workin' right. We weren't set ta do nothin' fer ships, but one day this transport comes limpin' in all torn ta hell." She shrugs. "Love at first sight. What's better'n a home that keeps ya busy /an'/ takes ya places?"

"Yeah, I've never been good with animals myself," Alice states with a nod, "Maybe that's why I was always with those eggheads down in R&D." She cants her head to one side curiously, a smile tugging at her lips gently, "Sounds like you lucked out. Finding a wounded ship in need of a technician." She hesitates a moment then asks gently, "Was it... was it hard to leave your folks and brother?"

"Oh! It weren't the Theory that touched down!" Ashlyn corrects, drawing one knee up to rest her loosely folded arms on it. "Truth, I got sent home the rest a the week `till she was off ta a proper shipyard. Uncle Jack said I was couldn't go on pokin' about some other crew's property an' he couldn't trust me not ta while it was parked there." She grins with a chuckle. "It weren't terrible hard ta leave," she ads. "Weren't really meant ta be there, ya know? I love my family. An' I had five brothers, not just the one. Along with a niece, two nephews, an ungodly amount a aunts an' uncles, an' near ta twenty cousins. B'sides, we're still in touch." She lets her head roll back against the console, popping her neck loudly as she does so. "R&D?" she asks as she reaches back to rub the back of her neck.

"Oh! Sorry, I misunderstood," Alice states with a sheepish smile, "Okay, then, how did you end up with the crew of the Theory?" Her eyes widen slightly at the description of the large family, "Wow, that's quite a bit of relatives. I only have my parents and my sister, really. I mean, I have other family relations, but I don't think I've ever met any of them." Again, the girl squirms uneasily in her chair as the question about R&D is brought up, "Er, y-yeah. My father is an executive in a corporation, like I told you. There... t-there was an Research and Development branch. I, uh. I kinda hung out there when I could get away. The scientists didn't mind, as far as I could tell, as long as I didn't make a nuisence of myself."

Ashlyn chuckles a little. "Hard not ta make a nuisence a yerself?" she asks with a grin that suggests that that wouldn't be a bad thing at all. "I left planet not too long after my nineteenth birthday. Hopped about the border planets a little. Didn't have a dime ta my name an' weren't no one lookin' fer a kid with no credentials ta tinker with their ship's innards." Her eyes slide back to the night outside. "Ended up on Greenleaf an' was loiterin' about the cargo office waitin' fer another lift when Suji came through. Would you b'leave a wooden toy landed me a job?" she laughs, closing her eyes with the thought.

Alice's own eyes drift towards the nighttime sky, gazing out at the junk sillouetted agaisnt the stars. A nervous string of tinkling, coquettish laughter bubbles up from the blonde who passes a sidelong look to the other woman, "A wooden toy, huh? Okay, I'll bite. How did that work exactly? I can't see there being much similar between a ship engine and a toy made out of plant fibers."

"A rubix cube," Ashlyn says with a grin. "I had a wooden rubix cube I put tagether while I was bored. Suji might a walked right by me if I hadn't been playin' with that thing. I think he's still got t'other one. A wooden toy an' my word that I was real good with machines." She starts laughing again. "I got real lucky. Next day I was on the Theory. Him, Matty, an' me. We were there almost the whole span tagether." A note of sadness crosses her features again, though it seems an unnatural expression on her and falls away quickly. "`Bout two whole years almost."

"It was just the three of you?" Alice asks curiously, "For two years? Wow, that's a p-pretty long time. Its a pity this, er... Matty person didn't come with you. But then, you gave her the Chaos Theory, right, so I guess that wouldn't make much sense anyway." She pauses a moment, lips pursing together as she taps her chin in thought, "Still, though. a rubix cube. I might have to get me one of those, then. Might prove handy."

Ashlyn shakes her head a little. "No, I mean it was us the whole time," she clarifies. "From the beginin' ta the end almost. There was others when I hired on, but I guess it really wasn't the life fer them. More were hired on. Those left, too. It's not for everone, livin' like this. There was Savannha fer a long time, too. Don't rightly know what happened ta her. Eventually we picked up Delilah an' Cid. Lucinda kinda joined the crew fer a while. I asked Bishop on... He'll tell ya a diff'rnt story," she says with a light chuckle. The captain sits against a partially dismantled console in the cockpit, one knee drawn up to her chest and her arms arounf it loosely as she speaks to Alice, seated in one of the mouldering pilots' seats. "Then Suji left ta go back ta school, an' I went from bein' chief engineer ta cap'n."

"He went... back to school?" Alice asks, her brows furrowing in confusion, "What... what do you mean, exactly? You mean, like, a university and all?" She blinks twice, "For what? And... why? I know you s-said that this life isn't for everyone and all, but... I donno, it seems quite a change to go from captain of a ship to student." She pauses then asks, "Why did he come back? Money issues?"

Ashlyn purses her lips and looks away from Alice. "I'm an open book," she states, looking back after a moment. "But on that yer gonna have ta ask him. Suji ain't my crew. He don't work fer me, an' I don't feel it's my place ta speak fer him." The look in her round blue eyes might suggest that the issue is significant, but cannot give more information than that.

"You ask alot of questions." softly says Ace's voice from the rear of the room. How long he's been standing in the hatchway between the bridge and the crew hallway beyond can only be guessed at. Taking a slow pensive drag from a burning cigarette, he chuckles lowly. "Sounds pretty normal for any ship. In my experience, it never seems permanent. Just one transition to the next, but some stick it out for awhile."

Alice frowns faintly, "Wait, he isn't on the crew? I thought... hrm." The girl starts, letting out a sharp yelp of surprise when Ace's voice drifts into the room. "Uh, y-yeah, well. Asking questions is a good way to accumulate knowledge, isn't it? It's a pretty good one, too." She stretches her arms over her head and stands, "Okay, I think I better go take some rest now. Uhm. Later." She offers a nervous, twitchy smile at Ace and Ashlyn before scurrying out of the room.

"Ya don't ask questions, ya don't never learn," Ashlyn tells Ace with a smile, replacing her somewhat more somber mood a moment before. "It's the people don't ask who never go nowhere their not led." She raises her hand in farewell to Alice as she hurries off, then turns her attention back to Ace. "You scared her off," she teases. "Been there long?"

"It might be, but it can be quite unhealthy if done around the wrong people. I personally don't sweat the details." Ace notes, eyes tracing the girl's steps as she passes by. He waits a moment before his gaze turns back to Ashlyn. "Its my charming personality." he deadpans with small grin, then shakes his head. "No, not very."

Ashlyn moves her folded arms from her knee to behind her head, apparently having chosen the floor as more comfortable than the pilot's seat. "I wouldn't exactly call none a us the 'wrong people,'" she says with a grin. "Least not fer askin' questions `round. Ya run `cross Cid yet?"

Ace shrugs. "Not sayin ya are. As wit allota things, not my place ta ask or judge. I'm tha least of anyone's worries." he says, keeping to his leaning against the open hatch. Another shake of the head. "Can't say that I have. Been lookin out fer him though. I'll catch'im sooner or later."

Ashlyn nods once. "He's been busy, I `magine," she says apologetically. "I ain't seen him myself in near ta a week. But I keep strange hours." She shifts a little as if the floor is not as comfortable a seat as it might be, gives a dismissing glance at the mouldering pilot's chair, and settles once again. "Think this is the last ta go b'fore we can set off," she says, looking around the room, which admittedly looks as if it needs some amount of work. "There any place ya wanna be?"

"I'm sure he's a busy guy." Ace says with a nod of his own, as if mentally filing that away. "Been on so many different planets, hard to really keep track of whats considered 'proper' hours, so I tend ta prescribe to the philosophy of 'don't wake me unless we're bein shot at'." A wispy gray stream of smoke lingers past his lips at that and he taps his smoke against the empty bottle held in his other hand. "Don't have much a preference, really. Ain't so much the destination I'm interested in." he point out, waggling a finger in an almost teasing manner. "Its the journey to wherever your headed. I never liked staying in one place fer too long."

Ashlyn nods again. "Much as I like buildin' this ship from the ground up, my feet itch," she admits, shuffling her feet a little in front of her as if that weren't a metaphore. "What's the date taday? We're pushin' on inta April." She looks up at the mess of machinery around her. "Gotta get this runnin' by the end of the month," she sighs. "I got places ta be myself."

"Anthin worth doin tends ta take time." Ace offers. "Ships ain't built in a day, an if it were? Hell, I'd feel sorry fer tha saps that fly it." he says, pausing to stare up at the ceiling at the question of the date. "Uhh....the seventh? Eighth? Somthin like that? Can't really be sure. Got stuff ta do, ma'am? Job an such?"

Ashlyn chuckles lightly at the question. "Not a job, no," she says, shifting her arms behind her head as she tries to get comfortable on the cold metal deck. "I got a weddin' ta attend."

Ace coughs slightly on his cigarette smoke at the answer. "Can't say I was expectin that." he utters. "Well, I guess thats reason enough ta be watchin yer timetable on gettin tha ship put tagether." He lets that thought sink in for a moment before adding with a grin, "Is it yours?"

Ashlyn laughs and nods as she surprises Ace. "It is. Been puttin' it off long enough," she says. "If it ain't one thing it's another." She begin's ticking the points off on her fingers. "I get put in charge a a ship, he gets stabbed, whole ship catches the gorram plague, the Russian Mafia shoots us all up, a ship dealer gets me on a technicality..." Apparently a day in the life of Ashlyn is far from calm and smooth. "But-!" Here she pats the ship's deck affectionately. "This ship will have /good/ luck," she orders the ship again.

"Hmmm." Ace grunts quietly. "Well...good fer ya. That is, that you managed ta see it this far an then some. Think you'll make it tha rest of tha way." Another slow nod at that, as if him affirming the previous statement. "Russkies, eh? Deblt wit them before, long time ago."

"I'll warn ya right now `fore ya join the crew official like, they got a bone ta pick with me," Ashlyn says, looking up at him with a steady gaze. "Last time we crossed paths, they shot my pilot an' damn near /riddled/ Matty with holes. How was it /you/ crossed paths with `em?"

Ace doesn't miss a beat with that gaze of Ashlyn's, returning his own unblinking and laser-sighted look. He purses his lips, followed by a drag of a coffin nail. "It was a 'disagreement'." he states, using that last word with a good deal of tact. "Right after being discharged. S'not a big deal anymore. Doubt I'd be remembered, and I perfer it that way." A foot raps against the floor, as the rather enigmatic man debates going further. "Lets just say it was a bad choice on my part."

"'Disagreement?'" Ashlyn repeats. For a moment she seems to debate something before drawing the other knee up so she can lean forward a little, moving her arms from behind her head back to her knees. "I'd be lyin' if I said I weren't dyin' ta hear the res a the story."

"Eh, I was young and stupid." Ace says softly, again gazing up again at the riveted ceiling. "Back when money was all that really mattered." the man utters, a small attempt at clarifying. "My past ain't so much interestin, ma'am. Jest alotta bullets, swearin, an random jobs. I'm jest another drifter."

"Psh," Ashlyn chides. "Everone's always tellin' me their stories ain't interestin'." She leans back a little again with a sigh. "But I can't make ya tell me. But when an if ya ever are crew, might become relevant some day, ya'know?" The easy smile returns with a light chuckle, that fades into a yawn. "I should prob'ly get myself ta sleep `fore everone else is up an' makin' too much racket ta do so," she announces.

"Jest not really used ta talking about myself is all." Ace notes, pushing himself away from the hatch. "Lookin ta be doin the same actually. Sem other time mabbe." he says, taking one last drag from his smoke before dropping it into the opening of the bottle, then shaking it to make sure it goes out. "See ya whenever I wake up." he say passing down into the crew hallway with a wave behind him.

Did the story have a happy ending?

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:40:11 GMT

IC Time: April 3, 2518

The Barrens is cool at night this time of year, and the gentle hum of the climate control has long since faded. Though Ashlyn had previously attested to the hull's integrity, the gently spring draft flowing through the common room accompanied by the orchestra of crickets would paint her a liar. Inspection would quickly reveal that a skylight over what will become the lounge portion of the room no longer sits in it's frame. The couches have gone, finally disintegrating into dust and having been removed from the ship. The galley is the only part of the room not coated in the evidence of many years of neglect, and footprints break the monotony of the dusty floor. A table that has seen better days and a collection of chairs that may be on their last days occupy the remaining space, and Ashlyn occupies one of these chairs. On the table before her is a large sheet of heavy paper. A jar of murky water and a palate of watercolour paints sit beside her. A large smudge of blue paint runs across her nose, and she runs the bristles of a wooden paintbrush over the surface of the paper in silence.

Into the room steps young Alice, her hair mussed up, sans glasses, and wearing pajamas. Yes, actual pajamas. Blue ones with a button-up nightshirt. She rubs her right eye absently with her fist, yawning faintly, then starts as she sees the good captain sitting there painting. "Oh! S-sorry, I didn't mean to intrude or anything. I didn't think anyone else would be up at this hour." She cants her head to one side, staring at the paper, "Painting, are we?"

Ashlyn raises her eyes to Alice as she enters. "I keep odd hours," she says with a smirk. "I try not to be too noisey if I find myself up when the rest of the ship is asleep. Mean's tinkerin' with the engine's right out." She places the end of the brush momentarily between her teeth as she leans back away from the painting. Mostly a mass of greens, blues and grays just now, small spots of clarity are just threatening to develop suggestive of what may be a garden or forest. "Would it be a correct guess ya don't got yer ident card on ya?" she asks, her voice slightly slurred what with the brush resting between her lips. She smiles, as she usually does, as if the world itself is simply far to amusing not to react to.

Alice moves over to one of the decrepit old chairs and flops down on one, the rickety thing trembling under the weight. The teenager casts a dubious look to the chair for a moment before relaxing more fully and turning her eyes first to the painting and then to the (somewhat exposed) skylight, "I love the nighttime. So quiet. And it's especially good when the stars are out." The girl hesitates a moment then looks back with a sheepish smile, "Er, y-yeah, I'm afraid not. Is... is that a problem?"

Ashlyn draws the paintbrush from her mouth and drags it through the mass of green on her palate. "Nah," she says, her voice rather soft with respect for any crew member who might have left their doors open for the duration of their sleep. "Still need ta run that background check is all. Matty'd have my hide if she knew I let it wait so long." It's a fond smile touched with sadness this time. The brush strokes over the paper and leaves and greenery spring up slowly in it's wake. And not so many moments later the sadness is gone from the smile again. "Can't figure ya got anythin' on yer record I'd blanch at, anyway." She shifts her bare feet under her to get a better angle at the paper layed out on the aging table. Outside the absent skylight, crickets continue their midnight orchestra, filling what would otherwise be moments of silence. "Not a terrible amount a trouble one can usually get themselves into coreward."

"I told you I'm not a criminal," Alice states matter-of-factly, "I've never been in trouble with the law, ever. I'm a law-abiding citizen. So, uh. So you d-don't need to worry." She rubs the back of her frazzled hair absently, "Though you'd be suprised at the trouble one can get into Coreward. There are all kinds of rules and regulations. Some of them contradictory! Its just difficult to get away with, is all."

Soft, rather dull footfalls against metal deck plating mark Ace's slow enterance. No need to one's own presence; hard to do so when still becoming orientated with the layout of the ship. The man stands just a little bit after the hatch inside, pausing to spark a lighter to lite aflame the cigarette thats been hanging in the corner of the man's lips before its tucked back away into a coat pocket. He doesn't speak as of yet, more or less visually taking in the look of the room, though a nod is offered towards the two while trying to not interrupt their ongoing conversation.

"Ain't doubtin' ya," Ashlyn assures the girl. "But I don't make acceptions. When it's convenient I'll run a background check, and be suitably shocked if yer a wanted criminal." She reaches up to scratch at her nose, sending a few flakes of dried blue paint from the streak marring her freckled skin fluttering to the surface of the table. "An' I didn't mean ya couldn't /get/ in trouble, more that the trouble one's apt ta get inta ain't all that troublesome. Lord knows ever time we set down in the core seems like someone or other ends up in jail or on the news. What planet you from anyhow?" She lifts her head up from her painting as another enters the common room. The ever present smile on her lips is still there as she greets Ace with a nod. "Crew of insomniacs we are," she notes quietly. "You settled in a'ight?"

"Lond--er--Osir--no, wait... Persephone. Yeah. Persephone," Alice replies after several false starts and squirming uncomfortably on her decayed seat. She's wearing a set of blue pajamas and is sans her glasses, looking rather like she just awoke. She does, however, look somewhat relieved at Ace's arrival whom she offers a nervous, twitchy smile and a wiggle of her fingers in greeting.

"Well enough." Ace notes, stepping further into the common room while the direction his feet take him in a circling motion around the edges of the walls. "Never been one to carry much. Only what I need." he comments before beginning to meander towards the women, and the table nearby. A flick of leather through a loop, he unhooks his holster belt and setting it down on an empty part of the table while pulling out a chair with the other hand. Taking a seat, he runs a hand past the holster itself, making sure the weapon within is indeed secured. "Not sure on yer policy of weapons on yer ship, ma'am. A hobby of mine ta clean out my sidearm when I can't sleep."

Ashlyn raises one eyebrow as she looks up from her work at Alice, not looking terribly ill at ease at all even as it seems she's being lied to. In fact the smile she so often wears never even falters. "Persephone's a border world," she states. She lets a short pause drag out before continuing. "I promise I'm very hard ta upset, but I don't like bein' lied to very much." When Ace asks about the gun, she grins and nods, her attention going back to her work as blues and whites mold into a waterfall under her brush. "I ain't got no problem with no one carryin' arms on my ship. My XO used ta do the same thing with her gun."

Alice grimaces as her transparent lie disintergrates like tissue paper in a hurricane. She does have the decency to look properly abashed, though. The girl takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her mussed hair, "Okay, um... look. I didn't... I d-didn't part on particularly good terms with my family, you see. I would -prefer- if they really weren't notified of where I was. And, uh... that includes making very deep inquiries. I mean, I know you need to check me out and all, but if you could, uh... j-just be a bit discrete. Or at least wait until the ship is flying until you have to look at my life with a microscope, I'd be very appreciative." The blonde's eyes turn towards the gun, her eyebrows arching, "Oh, wow. Firearms are common out here?"

Ace nods once, sucking smoke from his coffin nail before reaching over and pulling over a nearby ashtray and securing the small cylindrical object into one those little carved nooks. Hands now free, he reaches over to untie the small bit of leather that keeps the weapon connect to the holster itself. The weapon; while it looks like its seen its fair share of use and maybe on a bit on the worn side looks like its been well loved by its own. Its nothing specactular at first glance - just your standard military issue 9mm, though the laser sight was an add on. The gun is turned around in his left hand, thumbing a peice near the the trigger just as an afterthought to make sure the safety is indeed on, the next motion is a press to the magazine release which is set upright on the table. A glance over at Alice at that point? "About as common as there are beer cans. Besides, officers were allowed to keep their sidearms after the war."

"If yer askin' me ta wait that long, the suspense might kill me," Ashlyn says as she continues her slow work on the painting. It seems it's rather more her own cuiosity that might go against the girl's wishes than common sense. She reaches up again to scratch at the dried paint with all the attention of someone who's quite forgotten it's presence. "I'll look inta it when I do," she says firmly. "But I'll leave yer family outta it. /Is/ someone followin' you, though?" she asks, looking up. "That's the kind a thing I'd like ta know sooner rather'n later." To the questions about guns, she just looks up to watch Ace disassemble his gun for a moment. "You fought in the war?" she asks.

Alice looks distinctly uncomfortable, shifting her weight uneasily on the rickety old chair. "Well, um. Thanks," she murmurs, "For being discreet as you can, anyway. As to someone following me..." The girl's voice fades off for a moment as she hesitates, "I don't think so. But, uh. Well, my folks might have sent someone to try and take me back, you see. I mean, they don't have any -legal- right to do that -- I'm an adult in the eyes of the Alliance! -- but, well. You know. Sometimes the right favors and a few credits can make folks look the other way when it comes to stuff like that." The girl quiets then, turning her attention to Ace and the firearm, watching him clean it curiously.

"I was in another life." Ace replies on matters pretaining to what military record he may have. Another audible 'click' as the slide is parted away from the main housing, spring and piston cylinder going along with it which allows him to point the barrel at the ceiling to eye at the boring. A now grease covered finger reaches up to rub at his cheek and three inch horizontal scar that runs along with it, leaving a smudge. Putting his lips together he puffs a breath of air down the barrel as precautionary measure before setting that peice down and going back to taking apart the rest of the weapon. "Since we're on tha matter of background checks...this somethin I'm gonna need ta anny up on as well?"

"We'll keep an eye out," Ashlyn says quietly. "I'll be up front with ya, though. Everythin' I find out I'll tell Cid. The rest a the crew won't be far behind. If you wanna keep secrets, this ain't the best boat fer it. You don't sign on fer a job so much as ya sign on fer a family here." She grins to herself as her eyes fall back down to her painting. "Only if you wanna," she says to Ace. "Unless yer askin' if there's room on the crew for ya, because then I'd ask fer it, yeah. Which side?"

Alice continues to look distinctly uncomfortable, squirming more on the decayed old chair, "Well, I'm n-not exactly happy about everything about my background being splayed up for public perusal, but I guess I don't really have much choice. I m-mean, you'd likely have found out, anyway. Its not like I'm hiding any deep, dark secrets or anything." A trilling bit of laughter bubbles up from the blonde as she waves a hand dismissively, "I'm barely old enough to g-get any deep, dark secrets, anyway." As the conversation turns back to the war and Ace's part in it, Alice quiets, folding her hands primly on her lap as she listens.

"Been givin it some thought ta be honest." Ace notes quietly, sounding a bit preoccupied. "But I figure that isn't my place ta ask really, given ta me that would seem like I'd be intrudin an such." A hand reaches out for that cigarette, tapping once to knock the gathering ash at the end. "Fought fer tha Independents. There isn't much ta say really. Did what I thought at tha time was right. Not ta say that its something I regret doin but...eh, don't think my life would be so different if I hadn't."

"You always got a choice," Ashlyn says, still looking down at her work rather than the others in the room. The image spreading across the paper slowly becomes more and more clear under her attentions, a small waterfall in a garden, running under a stone bridge carved with Chinese dragons over a pond filled with red koi. She taps her brush in the jar of murky water and selects a roll of pens from one of her cargo pockets. "If ya don't want me knowin' you could turn down the job offer. Makes ya feel any better, most a us are open books." She looks up as Ace makes it clear that part-time work might not be all he's interested in, considering the notion a moment as she selects a fine-tipped black pen from the package. "We could use another gunhand, I think," she says slowly. "But I ain't the one ta ask. I leave security ta Cid." She smiles brightly, however as she takes the pen to a corner of the painting that's fully dried, marking deep shadows in it's surface. "A lot a us're ex browncoats. Not me, mind," she ads with a chuckle, "but was family ta one."

"No, it's okay," Alice replies, though she still looks uncomfortable, "After all, the only other choice I have is to k-keep going on commercial transports until I completely run out of money. Then I'm well and truly humped, anyway. It's not like I'm not used to being scrutinized, after all." The blonde peers curiously at Ace for a moment before suddenly blurting out, "Why did you fight the Alliance?" She seems embarrassed by her question, her cheeks flushing faintly and a grimace appearing on her features, "Er, not that I mean to be rude or anything. I'm just curious why you wanted to fight."

"Seem ta be tha way of things go, by an by." the man says, a small smoky haze passing from Ace's lips as he speaks. "Gunsmith by trade, also did a fair share of moonlighting as a bartender when there was need for one. I'm sure it wouldn't be that hard to dig up my military record if really interested. Like I said before, money really isn't so much of an issue. An I ain't one that asks too many questions. Makes my life a good easier, unless I feel otherwise." is the vauge explanation he gives while reassembling his firearm back into once peice; a process from the look of it that he's done time and time again. Back in one peice, its set back into its holster, while his eyes set on Alice, followed by solid evaluating stare. "The Alliance's idea of 'freedom' and my own were drastically different. Better it should be left at that."

"Aw, you could keep goin' `bout the `verse without money," Ashlyn says to Alice as Ace excuses himself. "I had `bout five credits ta my name when I started hoppin' planets. Could a gone on, too." She stops to watch a patch of the painting slowly dry, her pen floating impatiently over the surface for a beat before she leans down to blow on the watercolour. "There ain't a lot a sympathy fer the Alliance `round here," she says somewhat candidly, though the room is once again empty of all but them.

Alice shrinks back in her seat from the solid stare given to her, smiling lopsidedly. "Er, f-fair enough," she replies to Ace, "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend..." But he's gone, leaving the blonde to wince and grimace, "Yeah, that was tactful on my part." The girl smiles wryly and shrugs, "I noticed a distinct lack of Alliance support in a lot of places. It was kinda surprising. But anyway, I'm fine with you looking into things. I understand you have, uh, risk assessments to perform. I j-just... don't want my family to find out, is all." Alice turns her eyes towards the skylight again, "Besides, I really want to be out there, in the Great Void."

Ashlyn chuckles a little. "Ya get used ta not bein' used ta things," she says quietly. "So... what /is/ yer story? Or are ya gonna make me dig through news files an' archived records?" She folds her arms before her, letting the pen roll lazily across the relaxed fingers of her right hand as she waits for the image to finish drying.

"There's really no need for that," Alice states, blinking, "Besides, it's not... my story r-really isn't all that interesting, anyway. Boring, really." Still, the girl sighs and folds her hands, "But if you want to hear it, fine. My father is, er... h-he's an executive in one of the Core corporations. You'd be surprised at the amount of, ah, politicking that goes on in corporate board rooms. Anyway, I never... I n-never was much of one for keeping to sanctioned activities. I liked all kinds of things... archeology -- both digital and dirt -- spaceships, computers, just about anything, really, except what I was -supposed- to be learning. When I was younger, my parents tolerated my... unusual interests, but they begain to really try and pull the leash as I got older. If folks out here think the Alliance is overbearing, yeesh!" Alice frowns, crossing her arms over her chest, "I... I thought I'd finally get a chance to be away from all that at University, but... well, my parents had decided to send me to some expensive all-girl Academy. To make sure I learned 'proper' skills." The blonde snorts derisively, "It was basically like them keeping even -more- control over me! I just... I just couldn't stand the thought of that. Trapped in some hideous characture of adult life. So, I left."

"Well, that ain't nearly as horrible as I built it up ta be," Ashlyn says with a slight laugh. "Didn't mean ta embarass you by askin'. A lot a us have been hunted by someone b'fore. I like ta know `bout it b'fore it gets too messy is all." She looks down at her painting as the quick-drying watercolours lose the last of their shine. "Ah, there," she says, bringing her pen back to bear with a smile.

"I told you it was boring," Alice states with a lopsided smile and a shrug of her shoulders, "I don't know what kind of tale of woe and adventure you were expecting, though. And it's not like I'm embarassed exactly... I j-just kinda wanted to get away from that sort of thing from my folks, you know?" She runs a hand through her hair, "I'm probably worrying about being followed for nothing, anyway. My sister was always better than me at everything. Especially the stuff I had no real interest in." Alice cranes her neck and leans forward to take a closer look at the painting, "Ooh, nice! You've got real talent!"

Ashlyn grins. "Just a hobby," she says as the pen sharpens what the paint hints at. "And I could spin some tales of woe an' advernture, though I'd like ta think this ship'll have a little better ratio b'tween the two than the Theory did." There's a pause and a soft sigh. "Two parts woe ta every adventure like as not. Right up ta the end."

Alice cants her head to one side curiously. "Oh?" she asks, "Like what?" Her cheeks flush again and the blonde looks embarassed once more, "Er, if you don't mind me asking, that is. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or... or anything. Considering what happened with Ace just a few moments ago. But I am curious."

Ashlyn chuckles as she scratches her chin with the cap of the pen. "Where ta start?" she muses. It really doesn't look like the list of her adventures are connected to a terrible ammount of happy memories as the smile slowly fades from her lips, lingering only in her eyes for a moment before dying there as well. "Last July," she starts, apperently deciding on a story to recount. "Last July all a us went out ta Lilac. Most a us, I should say. Me, Bishop, Sujiko, Delilah, and Lucinda. Matty, Savannha, and Kerres were also with the crew, then. It was b'fore Cid came on with us..." She pauses a moment to structure her thoughts, her blue eyes taking a far-away cast as her pen begins to idly sway across her fingers again. "We was goin' ta attend Delilah's cousin's weddin'..."

Ashlyn catches the pen between the fingers of both hands, spinning it slowly and probably not terribly aware of it. "They was just takin' their vows when there was this horrible blarin' air siren an' people start screamin' an' someone yells, 'reavers!' Not like it did much good. Reaver ships don't run with no radiation containment. Makes `em faster'n's even feasable. We barely heard the yellin' `fore there they was screamin' o'erhead." Another pause is made in the retelling as Ashlyn digs through her memory.

Alice's eyebrows furrow in confusion, "Reavers? Wait, wait... hold up there... you're kidding right? Reavers aren't real. They're j-just old Spacer stories." The girl hesitates a moment, suddenly looking unsure, "Right?"

Ashlyn stops and is visibly ripped out of her memories. The slight far-away glaze over her eyes clears as she looks at Alice. "They're real," she states. "As ugly as the stories an' twice as horrible. But I don't aim ta end up face ta face with `em ever again, so if you go ta yer grave able ta think I'm pullin' yer leg right now, I ain't gonna complain. Had one latched onta my ankle draggin' me across the dirt. That was plenty more'n I needed ta believe."

An expression of disbelief mixed with shuddersome dread spreads over Alice's features as she squirms uneasily on her seat. "But... but... w-why is there no record of them beyond horror Cortex sites? You'd think the news agencies would love to get the scoop on something like that." The girl hesitates again, "I guess that means... they're really rare?" There's a bit of hopefullness in her voice before she shakes her head, "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. That just... surprised me. About the Reavers."

Ashlyn waves off her apologies with her free hand not occupied by futzing with her pen. "Don't worry `bout it," she says. "As fer rare... Well, I been out in the black fer two years an' crossed paths with them just the once, but I couldn't say." When Alice seems to give her the go-ahead to continue, her hand returns to the pen, and her eyes again take on the distant introspective cast they had, though it takes another moment before she continues. "I got seperated from Bishop. I was tryin' ta get ta Suji. He was cap'n, then. But there was this little girl screamin' an' cryin'. Everone was in a state a panic, an' the reavers just started... tearin' through `em. I stopped ta try an' get the kid outta the way, but... a reaver knocked me down an' started draggin' me..." She shudders, the memory seemingly still quite vivid.

Alice squirms uneasily in her seat, grimacing with revoltion at the description of the Reaver attack. "Ugh," she states, "But... everyone had guns, right? I mean, they're not bulletproof, are they?" The girl hesitates a moment then adds, "Look, if this is bothering you, you don't n-need to keep telling me about it."

"Some a us had guns," Ashlyn says slowly. "But it was a weddin'. No one was really... prepared. Not that ya really /can/ be I s'pose." She pauses for a moment to consider the rest before offering a slight smile. "I ain't bothered. But does that mean ya want me ta stop?"

"Are you sure?" Alice asks hesitantly, "I mean... it r-really looks like you're understandably, uh, disturbed by the memory. As for me..." She smiles wryly, "I guess I might skip breakfast, but I -did- ask. I do want to know. Its better to know and be prepared than to live in blissful ignorance and have it come up as a surprise later, right?"

Ashlyn nods to that last. "At least I had the benefit a bein' pretty sure they existed when I saw `em, an' it was still surreal." She leans back in her chair. One hand leaves the pen to begin systematically popping the knuckles of the other as her eyes cast up to the absent skylight. "I thought that was the end a me there. It's all kinda... fuzzy. I was too panicked I s'pose. I just remember one second I was bein' dragged an' then the next I wasn't. I looked up an Suji had it down an' was beatin' it to a pulp. It all happened real fast, both how they showed up an' how suddenly it was all o'er. It was so quiet it was unnatural. Then there was this horrible noise..."

"He attacked a Reaver?" Alice asks in mild surprise, "Woah. I guess they aren't contagious, then, as some of the stories I've heard. You can't... can't become one j-just from touching them, right?" She shakes her head quickly, "Sorry, I keep interrupting. But, hey... at l-least they left real quick. I mean, from the stories I've heard, they don't leave. At least, not until everyone is dead. And worse." The girl shudders again.

Ashlyn shakes her head. "They didn't leave," she says. "Almost all a them the crew killed. We was the only ones armed that day ta my knowledge. Maybe the reavers weren't expectin' us ta be there. I dunno. But all at once it was o'er. Then this second reaver ship comes blarin' in, an' crashes right inta the first, an' a big chunk a the wing breaks off..!" Here, Ashlyn /does/ stop, even the motions of her hand popping her knuckles pauses. "Well. Heh. Woe an' adventure," she says with a note of finality.

"Do Reavers ever really expect anything?" Alice asks curiously, "Everything I've heard about them makes them... subhuman. I mean, I guess they gotta have some intelligence left to run a ship, but c'mon. Running without radiation shielding? That speaks p-pretty darned highly of how much they think things through." She grimaces, "Still, I see what you mean about two parts woe to one part adventure." A brief pause. "So, what about the wedding? You c-can't tell me that and not give me the final run down. Did the story have a happy ending?"

Ashlyn puts the ending very bluntly. "No. They both died. And shortly after, the preacher shot himself." She shakes her head a little. "Wish I could offer a better endin', but I'm a downright horrible liar." Her pen once again floats toward her painting as she leans forward, bracing herself on one elbow as she takes a moment to debate which part to focus on next, which turns out to be the koi. The fine tipped pen begins delicately separating their reds and golds from the blues around them with precise strokes. "This ship will have /good/ luck," she says mostly to herself.

Alice stares blankly, nonplussed by the blunt relation of the end. "Oh," the young woman states awkwardly after a long pause, "That is decidedly, uh. Tragic. That's a really, really bad day. I can see why you m-might've thought the other ship never fit right, if that sort of thing happened often." Alice pauses again then stretches her arms over her head, "Well, I think I'll try to catch another couple hours of sleep, if I don't end up screaming in fear from the nightmares."

Ashlyn lifts one hand and waves briefly, her faint smile returning as if it never left. "Sleep well," she says as if it had been an entirely normal goodnight from the other girl.

We need Watermelon. And Champagne. And possibly a husband.

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:31:38 GMT

IC Time: April 1, 2518

Ashlyn is in exactly the state of disrepair she threatened to go out in, and seemingly entirely unconcerned with the state she's in, most of her exposed skin save for her hands smeared with the accumulative much and grime built up in the life support system over the years. Her black tank top and tan shorts are somewhat less stained, but certainly not clearing 'presentable.' Her hands rest easily in her pockets as the crew makes their way toward the market beyond the Barrens.

Lucinda is in her borrowed jeans and tank top, but still manages to stick out like a sore thumb in some painful way, like her steps are too measured, her back too straight, her smile too practiced. As it stands, she's affixed a polite little one to her lips, which shows no teeth and is barely friendly. She's insisted on bringing her medic pack with her, though the flap is turned to obscure the giant blaring red cross on the side. Thank heaven for little miracles. "I still don't understand the benefit of going miles out of our way just to avoid one man and his produce stand." Was that a complaint? Sure sounded like a complaint.

Delilah half snickers as she practically skips along in her thin yellow and pink skirt, still in the green t-shirt with the smiling strawberry naming her a 'Strawberry Girl'. "Cuz we ain't jus' avoidin' him, we're avoidin' his Momma an' all the rest a his family what have 'pparently decided I'm the girl fer him." She squints in the sun and raises a hand to shield her eyes, trying to remember the way. "I think we're supposed ta go this way," she muses, pointing to a path through the scrap on the right. "I guess it's jus' a local thing, not many visitors come by, so there's lotsa good stuff an' contacts ta be made." It's the contacts Delilah's most excited about, since it's rather hard to find good produce people who ship.

Ashlyn looks in the direction Delilah motions to, pausing for a moment to check her mental map before nodding that it does /seem/ like the right way to head. "All that decided in the space a helpin' you cart groceries?" she says with a slight grin. "You must a made /some/ impression." She pulls her hands out of her pockets, holding her arms wide to balance herself as she walks along a narrow bit of junk running parallel with the path. "I take it he's /not/ invited back once everthin's up an' runnin'?" The slight grin grows a little as she looks over at Delilah, swaying a little as she takes her eyes off her feet.

Lucinda follows after, apparently not having an opinion on which way they should go. Afterall, they're probably better off with Lu not forming one. Otherwise, she might drive them all systematically mad. "For a woman so intent on finding someone to marry, you certainly are picky, Delilah." This all said matter of factly. Maybe's not a good time to point out she has two brothers. Last time Delilah hooked up with a crewmember's sibling, he died in a splatted mess.

Delilah grins at Ash and continues leading the way. "I think it was more that I ain't from 'round here, an' so I guess all t'other girls had turned him down." She shrugs. "He was cute enough. He jus'...didn't quite have 'it'." When she hears Lu comment on her pickiness, her mouth hangs open for a moment, and it seems like she's hurt - but wait! Delilah's growing as a person! Here comes an unexpected smile. "Yer right, Lu, I am," she laughs at herself. "I don't really wanna have a boyfriend, I wanna husband. An' there ain't no sense in pickin' somebody who don't meet everythin' ya want on yer list iffn' yer plannin' on bein' with 'em fer life." She nods seriously and affirms, "God will send me my husband when I'm ready." This causes her to look behind the group quickly and then glance forward. Who knows, maybe her future husband could have been following them quietly. God works in mysterious ways.

A distance up whatever street the group is walking along is Sujiko, unaware of their presence. He appears to be talking to someone in a casual manner. It may be of note that he seems to have actually found new clothes, and is now dressed in something a bit more casual and a bit less messy, as he's not yet been glomped by messy girls. He doesn't notice the others yet, being faced the wrong way.

How long, though will Suji's clothes remain clean is the real question. Delilah might be as immaculate as usual, but Ashlyn is pretty well and truly coated in muck and goo of an unidentifiable origin. Only time will tell if an unexpected flying hug is in order. She walks along beside the group, balancing precariously on a bit of junk running parallel the path, her arms outstretched and wavering slightly as she focuses on anything other than putting one foot in front of the other. She grins at the exchange between the other two women before spotting Sujiko further up the path. Lucky for him, it's less a flying hug and more of an energetic wave, which sends the small captain sliding right off the bit of wreckage, though this time more gracefully than the last. "Hey, Suji!" she calls ahead of them.

Lucinda continues on with the pair of crewmates, their group apparently picking up another member as they weave through the junk heaps on the way to the town proper. The way they are talking, their either in the market for produce or men, though likely either will have to depend on how good the crop is this year. "Marriage does not have to conform to a set list of standards. It can, in fact, be as simple as a matter of convenience." Speaking from personal experience much? "For a person to find 'the one' in a 'Verse with a population staggering in the billions is a statistical improbability." The attempt is not to hurt Delilah's feelings of course, but to bring her around to a logical viewpoint, because that's just how Lu rolls.

One of these things is not like the others, one of these things just doesn't belong. And its easy to spot, sticking out among the regular run of the population like a beacon; a young girl struggling along with a large duffel bag slung around her shoulders as she's jostled back and forth by the crowd. "Oh! E-excuse me! Pardon me. H-hey! Ouch!" the high-pitched, cartoonish voice of the girl as she repeatedly apologizes for the people she runs into (or, more accurately, run into her -- few seem particularly willing to alter their course to get around the flailing young woman). Alice definitely looks lost and out of place.

Far from hurting Delilah's feelings, the comment makes her perk up and respond energetically. "But that's kinda the point, Lu. I mean, I believe there's one guy out there fer me, an' I don't know where he is er who he is, what he looks like er what kinda life he's livin'. But I believe that God can do the impossible an' bring that 'One' person in my life no matter how improbable that is. I jus' gotta live my life right an' be the kinda woman he needs, an' sooner or later, I'll find him." She'd probably go on explaining her various views on soulmates and God, but she notices both Sujiko and the flailing girl at the same time. "Do we know that girl? An' I wonder what Suji's doin' out here?" She waves in the direction of them both, for Suji to see them and to greet the girl, just in case they do know her. Delilah doesn't want to be rude!

Sujiko, standing quietly and looking fairly relaxed given his predicament, turns when he hears his name and adopts a broad smile when he sees the group. The smile fades only slightly when he sees Ashlyn in particular, looking like she just got out of fighting something that must also be very dirty. He looks back to the man he was talking to, shaking his hand and excusing himself. "'ey there!" he calls, distracted for a moment by a strange girl carrying an oversized duffel bag.

Ashlyn regains her footing a little ungracefully in the hard packed dirt. "/I/ did it," she offers Lucinda with a lopsided grin before hearing the shouts coming from the market ahead. She looks at Delilah waving at the person, and, possibly figuring that Delilah has met her previously, directs a wave to her as well before turning to the former captain (who needen't be worried, attack hugs generally only befall those unprepared for them). "We was just headed out fer supplies," she says by way of explaining their presence.

Alice catches a glimpse of the waving, her brow furrowing in mild confusion. Amid the contained chaos of the dirt-packed street, the girl looks behind her and to the sides before the corners of her lips curl upwards into a nervous, twitchy smile and she raises a hand to awkwardly wave back. Glancing over her shoulder again, the blonde trundles her way through the crowd towards the group, muttering more apologies as she squeezes through the crowd with her unwieldy cargo. Panting with exertion after finally having gotten close enough for conversation, another nervous, twitchy smile flickers to life on Alice's features and she pushes the glasses up on her face, "Uhm... h-hello there?"

Lucinda glances to Ashlyn. "Did what?" She asks, obviously missing the implied notion that Ashlyn found her soul mate. But of course that conversation just may have to be put on hold as the skittish lost girl becomes more of a pressing issue. "Spaceport is that way." Lucinda points, in quite the wrong direction at that. Making the assumption of course that all lost wayward people are merely looking for the fastest way /off/ the rock on which they now stand. So Lucinda's not what you would call a 'people person'. But she adds, "Have a nice day." See. She's getting better.

"Umm...hi!" Delilah chirps at the new girl while moving over to hug Suji tightly. "It's Ash's birthday," she whispers in his ear as she does so. And a bit louder: "We're buyin' watermelons an' avoidin' dumb boys!" She steps back with a grin and straightens her skirt before peering back at Alice again. "Do we know ya? I'm sorry, I jus' ain't recognizin' ya." She looks back at Lu and chimes back, "Yeah, Ash did it, I can too!"

Sujiko smiles. "Howdy," he says to Alice. His eyes grow a little wider when she hears what Delilah whispers to him, but doesn't let any more than that show. "Watermelons?" he asks. "Whatcha' need them for?" He pauses. "And you sayin' fellers're dumb an' y'er avoidin' 'em, or that you's avoidin' the dumb fellers?" He offers a friendly smile to Alice, stealing a quick glance up the road.

Ashlyn looks at Delilah, then back to Alice appologetically. "Guess we don't," she says with a grin, holding out her hand to shake. Her hands at least are free of grime as if they were the only this she bothered to wash before leaving the ship. "Didn't mean ta assist in summonin' ya o'er on false accounts. Name's Ashlyn. Ya look lost." She looks over at Sujiko. "Del's gotten a boy ta fall head o'er heels right for her," she says with a grin, laughing a little.

The look of mild confusion deepens on Alice's features as Lucinda points towards the Spaceport. "Are... a-are you sure?" the girl asks dubiously, "I mean, I j-just came from the Spaceport and I'm pretty sure it's n-not that way. Mind you I've, er... I've g-gotten a bit turned around." The blonde girl glances nervously over her shoulder again before turning back to Delilah and blinking. "Oh, er... n-no. No, I d-don't think so. I mean, I've only j-just arrived here and all, but, uh... you were waving at me? I-I... I thought..." Alice's voice fades off as she frowns faintly, rubbing the back of her head, "Actually, I'm not s-sure what I thought, exactly. But it seemed rude not to come, er... investigate." Again, the blonde glances over her shoulder briefly at the crowd. Alice turns back as Ashlyn speaks, a string of nervous, coquettish laughter bubbling up from the blonde, "Oh! P-pleased to meet you, Ashlyn. I'm Alice. It was just a misunderstanding, after all. Er." The girl hesitates, looking down at the offered hand before taking it and smiling lopsidedly, "Uh, yeah. Well. Not lost, exactly. Just... j-just out of my element, I guess."

Lucinda gives a look to Ashlyn that should convey 'she's not lost, I /just/ showed her the way to the spaceport', but really all it looks like is Lu's staring at her Captain with a blank expression. She really hasn't gotten that whole nonverbal communication thing down. Let's refer back to Exhibit A, of the Persephone Winter Whosiwhatsit Ball. Frownie face thumbs down mean bad. Her gaze then swivels back to Alice, the doctor's eyes narrowing slightly. Perhaps she's just mentally recounting the ways she can fix the girl's stutter. For now, Lu falls silent.

Delilah gives Alice the wide-eyed look of sweetness and puppies. "Aww, honey, don't worry 'bout it!" she reassures. "I heard ya say excuse me, an' assumed ya were talkin' ta us. Ain't no big deal at all. Where are ya tryin' ta go? Ash's got a map!" She turns to excitedly point to Ashlyn and said map and hears Ash tell Suji about her exchange with Ryan. "He ain't over his feet fer me!" she protests greatly. "I jus' had him carry home some bags an' he was talkin' 'bout how his Momma liked me an' his Momma this an' his Momma that. It was real creepy an' he was dumb as a box a rocks, CapnSu- Suji. Sir." She blinks a few times and tries to pretend like she didn't just say what she said.

Sujiko can't help but snicker at Delilah. "Cap'n Su- Suji Sir?" he repeats, amused. "Well, ya' got one of 'em right, anyway," he teases. "'lilah's got a feller after 'er, eh?" he asks. "Seems a nice reversal o' situations, don't it?" he asks rhetorically, apparently amused with teasing Delilah. "Dumb's a box though, yeah, can't rightly say I'd go fer a feller like that neither."

Ashlyn notes Alice glancing over her shoulder repeatedly and casts her gaze over in the same direction briefly before looking back at the woman. "Somethin' wrong?" she asks. When Delilah informs the gathered that she's in possession of a map, she shakes her head and taps her temple. "Just what I seen," she says. "Unless you mean that scrap I got with directions on it?" She grins remembering how truly useless the little diagram of the scrapyard was. She snickers at Sujiko as she lets her eyes scan over the shops visible between the throngs of people. "I'd hope not, ghuh-ghuh," she says with a grin before looking back at Alice.

"Trying to go?" Alice asks, blinking twice again before once more looking over her shoulder briefly, "Well, er... n-no where in particular, really. I guess I'm looking for a place to stay for a few days. But m-most places on this planet are too pub-- are too expensive. Or, er... d-don't exactly inspire confidence in their security." Alice casts a glance at Ashlyn and blinks, shifting her weight uneasily on her feet and swaying back and forth as if pushed by a faint breeze, "Wrong? No, no. Nothing... nothing is wrong, why?"

Lucinda tilts her head slightly to the side, still observing Alice. "Are you on drugs?" She asks bluntly, in a purely clinical way of course. She's a doctor, she can do these things. Just like when she asks men to drop trou, she expects them to follow orders. Also for purely clinical reasons, mind you.

Delilah blushes when Suji teases her, a lovely shade of red. "I ain't got a feller after me!" She grumbles at a lower tone, "Can't be after me iffn' he can't find me." Fluffing her red hair in a flustered way, she mumbles some more, "An' see, Suji agrees, boys who are dumb aren't the way ta go." She sighs and is inspecting men who pass, as though looking for the telltale 'D' on their foreheads that give the stupid ones away, when Lu asks the new girl if she's on drugs. Delilah leans forward ever so slightly and peers hard at the girl - maybe she is on drugs. Delilah wouldn't know, but Lucinda would, being a professional. Curious stare, commence.

Nodding sagely is the only thing Sujiko can do to surpress more than a snort of laughter at Lucinda's question. "Definitely," is the only thing he says, and it's directed to Delilah. Dumb boys are most certainly not an option. In silent amusement, he shoves his hands in his pockets and watches Alice for her reply.

Ashlyn tilts her chin in the direction Alice glances. "Ya normally look o'er yer shoulder ever five seconds?" she asks with a slight relaxed smile. "But I won't pry if ya don't want me to. An' no, the motels hereabouts don't generally employ much security." She looks over at Delilah with a grin. "Or sound insulation," she ads.

Alice's attention snaps to Lucinda and she looks like she's been smacked across the face. "I beg your pardon?" she asks, clearly shocked by the blunt statement, "Of course not!" She hesitates a moment then adds sheepishly, "Well, there probably was some immunization suppliments in that Fruity Oats bar I had the other day, I g-guess. But I don't... that doesn't count!" The blonde grimaces slightly, "Mind you, I w-wish they would improve the taste of those things. It was like eating dirt in a wrapper. It -can't- be that difficult." Alice's nervous figeting becomes more pronounced as she becomes the focus of scrutiny, her eyes darting back and forth nervously. She shrinks back into herself, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets, gnawing on her lower lip. "It... it's not every five seconds," Alice mutters defensively, though she apparently can't resist another flurtive glance over her shoulder anyway, "I'm just... just looking for danger, that's all. Generic danger. Its dangerous out here, right?"

Lucinda glances to Ashlyn, deferring to her now that she's considered the boss lady. "She's not on drugs." She confirms definitively, in her honest medical opinion, as if taking the strangers word on it is sufficient. "Though I can't vouch for her mental state." She adds, as Alice declares that she's looking for generic danger. Suji, quick! Roll her for her valuables. Compass goes street thug. Word.

She's on drugs, she's not on drugs - Delilah is confused. "Generic danger?" she echoes, looking past Alice to the crowd of mostly harmless people behind her. "Is it dangerous here?" she asks the rest of the group, looking mostly to Suji for the answer. "I ain't had problems with nobody 'cept stupid boys, an' Lord knows iffn' anybody's gonna attract dangerous folk with hugs, it's gonna be me." She grins and points to the scrapyard they just left. "'Sides, ain't it all jus' junk here an' people what want that junk?"

Sujiko grins at Delilah. "Unfriendly types everywhere ya' go, I 'spect," he reasons. "Jus' depends what sort o' dangerous ya' mean." Awfully unspecific. "Don't reckon this place is quite so bad if'n ya' mean risk o' get'n mugged, though."

"Well, it ain't the Core, but it ain't Ezra, neither," Ashlyn says agreeably to both Alice and Delilah. "Ain't run inta any trouble here myself. But if yer so worried `bout it bein' here," she saysm her attention now back on Alice, "why come here all by yer lonesome?" She nods to Lucinda with a slight smile as she drops her hands back into her pockets.

"My mental state is fine!" Alice exclaims, flailing her arms out to the sides, "Why would you think I was crazy?" The blonde glances sidelong at Delilah, "Well... y-yes? I mean. Its supposed to be really bad out here on the Rim." How cute. She thinks Boros is the Rim. "There's n-not many Alliance troops around to keep everyone safe." Yes, besides that huge military base on Ares and all. Alice offers a lopsided smile at Sujiko and rubs the back of her head absently, "Oh, well. T-that's good news, I guess. At least that's one less thing to w-worry about." The blonde pushes her glasses up her nose and hesitates a moment at Ashlyn's question, "I, er... I wanted to see the universe. Travel for a bit, that's all. See the sights, y'know. It, uh, gets kinda boring Coreward."

Lucinda must assume that Alice's question as to her sanity is rhetorical, for the good doctor doesn't offer up an opinion on that matter any further. "Seeing the 'verse one trash heap at a time is a noble venture, but we were on our way to the Market. If you'll excuse us, or chose to see that too is entirely up to you. We need Watermelon. And Champagne. And possible a husband." As if this is a perfectly normal shopping list to be had. Who's the crazy one now?

Oh, hey, they were going to buy produce! Well, in the Suji/potential drug user excitement, Delilah had forgotten all about that. "Actually, we're goin' ta get a watermelon, an' champagne an' ice cream, an' I'm gonna look fer a potential husband, but I certainly ain't gonna buy one," she laughs. Ca - Suji, ya wanna come with us?" She turns and smiles warmly at Alice. "Ya wanna come with us, er do ya know where yer goin' now?" At least she hasn't tried to hug her yet.

Sujiko watches as Delilah explains the task they're attempting to accomplish, quirking a brow in curiosity at the mention of finding a potential husband. "Funny way o' goin' 'bout it," he says, mostly to himself. "I'd like t' come, but I gotta' get back t' the ship. Some things I needa' put right with m' business an' all." With a grin, and a "nice t' meetcha', miss" to Alice, he starts back off in the direction of the Compass.

A wide smile crosses Ashlyn's features. "Borin'," she repeats. "Well, can't abide by that." She nods definatively. Seeming to decide that the paranoia is merely a by-product of growing up in the core, she begins sidling past the group to get a better look at the market proper, as Lu does, grinning. "Does seem like a strange place ta find yerself siteseein'. Just hoppin' shuttles from planet ta planet, then?" she asks Alice as she begins moving to follow the doctor. She turns as Sujiko excuses himself, raising one hand to wave. "Bye, ghuh-ghuh!" she calls after him, though she seems rather unhappy he won't be joining their finding-Delilah-a-husband field trip.

Alice stares blankly at Lucinda for a moment before Delilah qualifies the statement. The girl lets out a string of coquettish laughter then smiles brightly at the invitation, "Oh, wow, sure! T-that'd be shiny, if you wouldn't mind me tagging along." A quick pause to look over her shoulder again. "I c-could definitely do with some food myself, so finding the market would be good in any case." She smiles pleasantly at Sujiko before folding her hands in front of her and giving a slight bow, "Likewise, sir. Good day to you." The girl then turns and hurries along with the group, struggling along with her duffle bag before nodding to Ashlyn, "Basically, yes. I don't really have a destination in mind or anything. I just... wander. I've b-been doing it for a little over two weeks now."

Lucinda gives a brief nod to Sujiko as he wanders off, accustomed to the ebb and flow of the crew at least somewhat now. "Actually, it is possible to purchase another human being, though the practice is frowned upon. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that you're 'true love' may be a slave. Tell me, is speaking english a prerequisite? Because I once ran across this data stream on the cortex where one could purchase a female of Russian decent for a bride. Maybe they had a male selection as well." Or maybe Delilah's 'one' actually lives in a third-world settlement, and needs to be adopted with the help of an overweight out-of-work actress. Just think. For the price of a cup of coffee a day, Del could have true love.

"Lu!" Delilah squeals, delightfully appalled. "I said I weren't gonna buy him, not that I couldn't. An' maybe he is a slave, but since I don't frequent places that have anythin' ta do with the slave trade, I'm not seein' how God's gonna put him in my way." Leading the way to the market once more, she giggles and remarks, "An' yes, speakin' English er Chinese is kinda preferable. Though I ain't the greatest at Chinese. But either way, I ain't thinkin' 'bout lookin' fer him on the black market er in the skinvids er anythin' like that. God'll send him ta me in His own time."

Far be it from Ashlyn to call that anything other than a great plan in and of itself. "Did that myself fer about two months," she says. "Back when I was nineteen." She doesn't look terribly older than that now beneith the grime which is at least only lightly applied to her face. "`Fore I ran outta money an' landed myself on Sujiko's ship." She nods back the way Sujiko left with a grin that seems almost ever-present in her blue eyes. She turns to Delilah as Lucinda offers up ideas. "You'd have ta clean up after him an' take him fer walks," she quips as she oozes between two people who shuffle into her way. You learn to flow around crouds when you're too small to break your own path through them. She smiles with Delilah's reaction as she stops short of the produce vendors and now turns to the cook for direction. This is not the captian's element any more.

Alice's eyebrows arch in surprise, "W-what? Slavery? You're... you're kidding right? I mean, the Alliance would put a s-stop to anything like that." Her expression of surprise melts into one of mild confusion, "But why would there even b-be a market? I mean... isn't that the sort of thing Companions are for?" The girl struggles to keep up with the rest of the group, not having the adept sense of Crowd Navigation that the good captian does. "I'm eighteen," Alice states with a bright grin, "Wow! He has a ship? That's awesome. I love space. I mean, I know l-lots of folks don't like the Great Void, but I love it. I could j-just stare at it for hours... majestic. And silent. So wonderfully silent. You can't even see the stars on a lot of worlds, due to the atmosphere." She pauses a moment then adds, "Pity in a few tens of billions of years all those points of light are going to burn out and all that'll be left is a slight increase in background radiation."

Lucinda eyes cant briefly towards Alice, who probably believes Reaver's don't exist either. But who is Lu to burst the woman's delusions, as she lives in a nice little bubble herself. A bubble where love is fiction, fact is king, and everyone worships a nice set of... "Melons!" ...manners.

Whatever Delilah's reaction to Alice's comments might have been at a different time, they're at the food stalls now, and that's all Dela's brain can focus on. "No, Lu, not those," she murmurs as she begins to weave in and out of stalls. "We're lookin' fer a very specific stand, with a very specific person behind it." She gets quiet as she looks around, at times surveying this fruit or that vegetable, as though filing away what crops are good and bad here for after they've found the main attraction. Finally, she stops in front of a stall which is covered in a blue cloth, and attended by a gigantic black man. In front of him is a huge assortment of tropical fruits - mangoes, bananas, papayas, and many others. Including some very ripe watermelons. "Are you...Jonas?" Delilah asks timidly, stepping forward and trying very hard to look at the man, not the fruit.

"Depends on who's askin'," the man replies warily. He doesn't look up from the book he's reading, and his voice has a slight brittish accent to it.

"Alliance don't got much hold past the border planets," Ashlyn says. "Might be as they could stop that kind a thing in the Core, but the rim's a might far outta it's reach. I may not be too keen on the Core, but I won't say stamping that out wouldn't be a good thing. Just ain't feasable." She looks around the market as Lucinda seems to catch sight of goal one of their shopping trip, raiseing a hand to shild her eyes. "Ship ain't Suji's," she continues to Alice. "She's mine. Used ta be I crewed on his ship, the Chaos Theory. All a us did. Well, what's left a us. So... ah, what is it ya /do/?" Funny. Sounds almost like a job interview. She stays a step behind Delilah as she seems to take them to a stall entirely at random, looking Jonas and his stand over once before turning back to Alice.

Alice's eyes widen when she sees Jonas. Huge hulking men manning fruit stands is more than she expected, apparently. While she steals a curious look at the cover of the book, she happily stands back with Ashlyn. No sense getting in the way now is there? "Excuse me?" the blonde asks, turning to Ashlyn, "I don't... oh, wait! Y-you mean, what is my vocation? Oh, er... I don't really have one at the moment." She purses her lips and looks down at the ground, brows furrowing and mutters to herself, "Oh dear, I g-guess I'm going to have to find one. Money won't last forever."

Lucinda starts inspecting the man's fruit, but not in an appreciative way as Delilah might. No, Lu's on the hunt for obvious signs of pestulance and blight. As the man speaks, she's drawn to him for a moment, looking for a moment like a school girl who just fell hard for the quarterback. The doctor clears her throat and goes back to examining the man's banana. Fruit. The man's fruit.

"Well, a boy named Ryan told me not ta talk ta ya, cuz he said yer produce was the worst 'round an' you were mean an' nasty." She pauses a moment, and then smiles. "An' since he's jus' 'bout the dumbest person I ever met, I figured what he meant was yer produce was better'n his, an' you were nice as pie." She beams and points to his watermelons. "An' I'll be darned iffn' these jus' ain't the nicest I seen since I left Lilac." She sticks out her hand and offers, "I'm Delilah. You can call me Dela or Deli or really whatever ya want."

Jonas catches Lu eyeing him and eyes her right back, until Delilah starts to speak and his mouth drops open and hangs there. He's silent for a few moments when she's done, but then he moves forward and laughs a deep, loud laugh. Ignoring her handshake, he scoops her up into a hug, and proclaims, "Well, darlin', anyone who calls Ryan Metcalf a dumb blockhead is a friend of mine!" Releasing her, he points to his crops and asks, "Which one would you like?" Lu is eyed once more. But subtly.

"Well..." Ashlyn says slowly, also letting her gaze wander over the fruit (yep, they're fruit all right). "Dependin' on what it is you can do, I might be in a place ta offer ya one." She raises one eyebrow neatly sliced in two by a pale scar seated directly at it's center as she waits for Alice's reaction to that. She catches Delilah being ambushed out of the corner of her eye, and her right hand lifts up to her belt as she half turns toward the motion, possibly as if she were reaching for a gun, but one is not present. She relaxes when the attack turns out to be a hug, laughing quietly at the situation. "Would ya like ta see her?" she asks, turning back to Alice. "The ship?"

A faint rosy tinge creeps onto the crests of Lucinda's cheeks, though its likely she only believes that Jonas has caught her gaze and not the fact that he's actually /returning/ it. Slowly the doctor sidesteps, putting some space between her and the vendor and leaving Delilah to discuss his fruitful bounty. After a while, the doctor just sort of drifts away, her attention caught by this or that and pushing that odd tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach to the back of her mind. Maybe she'll go find that champagne while the others are occupied.

Alice also starts back a bit when Jonas rises and pulls Dalilah into that big bear hug, though she relaxes soon afterward, smiling lopsidedly. The girl then does a double-take at Ashlyn, shock written all over her features. "R-really?" she asks, stunned, "Are... are you serious? I mean, you b-barely know me!" Alice raises her hands in a supplicative gesture, smiling sheepishly, "Not that I'm saying no or anything, I'm j-just really surprised. I'd -love- to. See the ship. And, er... get a job. As for what I know, um..." The blonde hesitates, rubbing the back of her head absently, "I know a little bit about everything, just about. Computers, electronics, cooking... I'm actually a p-pretty good cook." Said with a note of pride, "I even know some stuff about ship engines and the like. Er, all theoretical, though. I haven't really had a chance to work on a ship." She hesitates a moment then adds, "I can fence? I'm really quite good at that, too. Better than my sister, even."

Delilah squeaks in delight when Jonas bearhugs her, and turns towards Ashlyn to wink. The message is clear - 'see, other people do it too!' When he lets go and offers her a watermelon, she surveys them closely before pointing to what she has deemed the perfect one. "That one, please." Jonas smiles a bright white smile and he and Dela get invested in a chat about produce, Ryan, and various men in the area. It's gonna be a while, and she's not gonna notice people when they leave.

Ashlyn raises a hand to her crewmates, weather or not she's noted. Seems the situation is well in hand. "Well. April Fools," she says to Alice before quickly ammending, "Kidding! Kidding! I couldn't help myself. We been so busy I ain't had time ta pull a proper prank." She makes a gesture back the way they came as she begins leading the way. "Don't work it up too much in yer head," she warns. "It ain't glamourous. Ain't none a us Core `cept fer Lu. The tall monosyllabic woman," she ads fondly, remembering that names were not quite propperly exchanged. She breaks out of the crowd back into the laberynth of the Barrens.

"The one who thought I was drugged up?" Alice asks as she scurries along, trying to keep up, "She reminds me of my mother." A beat. "That's n-not really a good thing, though. But then I don't know her that well, I'm sure she's a good person." The blonde smiles brightly and pushes her glasses up her nose, shaking her head, "Oh, that's fine. Anything that flies is okay with me. The commerical shuttles... they have such tiny, tiny windows. No room to see the Black."

Ashlyn chuckles slightly as she leads the way through the paths and roads slicing through the piles of scrap without hesitating at any fork in the road, entirely sure of where she's going. A small woman in her early twenties, she looks like she's been in a fight with a tar pit and lost, her bare legs up to her tan shorts, her arms, and her face painted with grease and grime leaving only her hands clean. Her blue eyes sparkle a little when she speaks. "Well, `bout the flyin'," she says sounding a tad embarrassed. "She don't. Not yet. But she will. Soon." She looks up in the direction she's heading as she walks along beside Alice, trying to keep from pulling too far ahead of her. "When we split from the Theory, only half the crew came with us. We got enough people ta function, but only just barely. And Lu's really quite nice, I assure you. Best doc I ever met. Delilah's the cook, Bishop's the pilot, Cid's security. We ain't got a lot a gaps ta fill, but if you can do a little a everthin' you'd be a lot a help."

Moving at a slight bob and weave through the strewn stacks of scrap, Ace meanders his way on through. One hand in a coat pocket and the other clutching a burning smoke between two fingers, the man doesn't exactly look to be going anywhere in a hurry. Infact, its more at a casual pace. As the dusty covered clothes suggest, he's used to this kind of thing. Anyhow, looks like its just another day for the nomad.

Alice scurries along, hefting her oversized and awkward duffle bag as she follows Ashlyn through the twisting spires of junk. "Oh! Oh, okay. Well, as long as she will fly -eventually- I'm sure that'll be fine." She cants her head to one side, "Only half your crew came along? Er, what... what happened to the Theory, if you don't mind me asking? Or is it j-just a case of you wanting your own ship?" She frowns faintly, "Though it seems odd that the captian of the old one wants on the crew. But, yeah, I c-can do a little of everything. I know some finance stuff too, though I don't know if that'll be useful or not."

Ashlyn smirks a little, reaching up to wipe some of the grease loosened by sweat off her face before it can drip down her bisected eyebrow and do some damage. Ahead of them, the hulk that is the Compass comes into view, an older model firefly which looks to have seen better days, though a good deal of work done on her is evident even from the outside. A large chunk of her hull displays fresh welding, as do several smaller parts. Ashlyn notes another denzen of the Barrens passing through, and raises her hand in greeting. "Actually, I was the captain a the Theory. Sujiko's the captain b'fore me. As fer what happened ta her, well." She shrugs lightly to Alice. "Just wasn't home. Left her ta my XO. Never did sit right with her that Sujiko gave her ta me in the first place, so..." She shrugs again, now turning to Ace. "Didn't get lost in this maze, did ya?"

"Hrm?" Ace quirps, apparently lost in his own train of thought. At the questions tossed in his direction, he scans the scrap heap surronding him. "Oh. Nah, not really. You walk it long enough and so many times that the path is pretty clear after awhile." he muses, thoughtfully tucking a drag off his coffin nail. "Just passin through ta the landing pad. Lookin for a ride."

Whatever Alice might've been expecting, it sure wasn't this. She stares at the craft in silence for a moment before cracking a smile, "Well, she, ah... certainly is a ship with -history-." Diplomacy! The girl nods twice at the explaination of Ashlyn's old ship, grunting once. This, apparently, is not an alien concept to her, unlike quite a lot of things here on the Border. "I see. Having problems with subordinates can dramatically affect performance in any organization. It is definitely important for productivity to make sure they aren't looking to advance by knocking you down." She looks towards Ace as Ashlyn greets him, the blonde girl offering a nervous, twitchy smile and a bow of her head.

Ashlyn looks up at the Compass. "While I normally /would/ ask ya where to an' how much," she says to Ace, "Ship ain't really up ta it just yet." She seems more interested in conversation with the girl beside her for now, and a careful ear could easily guess that a quausy job-interview is underway. "She's got hull-integrity again. The life support's half fixed. Engine's tuned. Just needs work done ta the pilotin' controls, an' some more work ta make her a little more livable." If there was more to the story of what happened on the Theory, she doesn't share just yet.

"Huh." is Ace says at first at the explanatin. "Not really lookin for any place in particular, jest like to travel." he utters with a lazy roll of the shoulders. Then an ever so slight nod towards Alice in respondse to the bow. His own gaze now follows the other two towards the ship being spoke of. "As fer price, I usually try ta offer my services as payment as cash seems to go so quickly once I get it. Pricey, pricey stuff is." Then a pause, as if he's making some kind of interal dialouge. "So...in that case, you lookin fer help ta get yer ship in the air?"

"Oh, hey, if the engine's working and the hull has integrity, then the really hard stuff is already done," Alice states brightly, again turning her eyes to the craft, "Being spaceworthy is half the battle, after all." The blonde pauses, squinting at the bridge and shielding her eyes with her hands, "Oh, wow! Nice big windows!" The blonde grins impishly and passes a sidelong look at Ashlyn, "Where do you plan on heading to first, once the thing is up in the air?" Alice also looks at Ace as he speaks, her eyebrows arching, though she says nothing in response to his question.

Ashlyn looks Ace up and down for a moment. "Wouldn't be adverse ta help at all. But I'll warn ya, she's gonna need a lot more work than she looks. It's one thing ta get a MULE fixed up. If ya miss somethin' she just breaks down a block down the street. Space ship breaks down a mile up in the air." She grins as she casts her eyes upward. "So It might be a while `fore we can repay ya by lettin' ya hitch a ride. As ta where we're goin' that all depends on what Boros is sellin' an' who's buyin' it." She continues her way toward the Compass so she can stop in the shade of it. "Ain't adverse to goin' anywhere in the `verse. Just as long as we can keep flyin'."

Alice nods twice and grunts again. "Fair enough. Sounds like a practical plan." She grins broadly, "And -fun-, too! Travelling on the commerical transports is great and all, but there's something much more... romantic, I guess, about doing it in ship that doesn't have a schedule. It's almost like the original colonists from Earth-That-Was, heading off into the Black. Er, though I guess they actually had the destination already pre-planned and all. So I guess nothing like it, actually." The blonde pauses then adds, "Still romantic."

"Everything usually does. Just tha way of things." Ace replies casually, taking the last puff off of his cigarette before its dropped to the ground and rubbed out with the toe of his boot. "An I'm no engineer, but I'm pretty since yer the Cap, ya can find somethin heavy fer me to haul around an such. Dun worry about paying, ain't no greedy bastard."

"How `bout we pay ya both fer now in room an' board?" Ashlyn asks. "The rooms ain't ritzy, but they got new beds an' they're air conditioned, an' our cook could make a livin' as a proffesional chef." She shrugs down at herself. "I myself gotta clean up `fore Del an' Lu get back." She punches a code into the keypad beside the hatch and it lowers with a loud hydraulic hiss. "Alice, barrin' there bein' a black mark a some epic proportions on yer records, and Cid givin' ya the go-ahead, I'd like ya ta stick around fer a two week trial period?" She looks to Ace. "My name's Ashlyn Tanner. I didn't catch yer name?"

"Room and board is fine with me!" Alice states cheerily, "Gosh, I'd just be happy to be travelling around without having to fork over thrity credits each time." The blonde pauses, pushing her glasses up her nose, "B-black mark? Er, I'm not a criminal if that's what you mean. But, sure! A couple weeks of trial is fine. Gives you a chance to check things out, that's fine with me."

"That'll do jest fine, ma'am." Ace say with a polite nod. "Thats about all I need. I'll make sure I don't take up too much space." Another look offered between the two, up to the ship, then back down. "Ya can call me Ace."

Ashlyn points up toward the catwalks visible in the cargo bay. "Take a right up there an' rooms two, three, an' four are all empty. Think we also got one crew bunk up near the cockpit still open," she says to Alice. "If you'd rather take that. I'll speak ta the crew ta make sure ya don't surprise none a them." She hops into the cargo bay. "I'll get back with the both a you in a bit." And with that she vanishes on board the ship.

Maybe that's not such a good idea...

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:14:28 GMT

IC Time: April 1, 2518

"A few more feet!" Ashlyn yells over the whir and rumble of machinery and the arid wind wipping through the Barrens, though as high up as she is, she's spared the worst of the dust. Perched on one of the ladders built into the side of the ship and secured by a harness higher up, she watches the crane ease the replacement hull into place. Her shorts have been traded for a pair dusty cargo pants, and heavy leather gloves and goggles complete the look along with the heavy bolted in her free hand, secured to her forearm lest she lose her grip on it.

From the other side of the hull panel to be installed is Cid, gloves on, and a tool belt of his own (woot!). His brown t-shirt has taken on a darker hue as his sweat is soaked by the fabric. Standing from another ladder, he looks closely to see that the large bolts are seated into the ship's frame. Once that's done the panel can be secured and sealed. It's just the getting it there part that's tricky.

Delilah comes into the Commons in her cutoff jean shorts and a black tank top, stretching and yawning as she walks. "Mmmmmmm ahah! Wow, I really didn't mean ta nap fer that - ACK!" She yells and does a twostep when she notices the large panel coming at her where the hole used to be. "What the heck?!" Completely disoriented by the unfamiliar sight, she blinks at it a few times, trying to get her bearings.

"We wake you?" Ashlyn yells over the sound of the machinery before with a loud 'clang' the panel whumps into place, the large bolts along it's edge lining up just perfectly if the way it settles into place is any hint. She gives the mechanic opperating the crane a thumbs up before scurrying the rest of the way up the ladder to where her harness secures to a handhold near a small open hatch. "Thought we'd try havin' a solid wall taday!" she says happily down into the commons.

Cid's right beside Ash, looking down from the other side. "Buncha burlies are gonna be in there shortly to seal it with a weld. Don't be askin' any a them if they a virgin, aalright?" One can almost here the grin in the gunhand's voice.

Well, if she wasn't disoriented before! "Burlies? What?" she yells up at Miya, raising her hand to shield her from the sunlight. "What the heck is a burly?" Looking around in abject confusion, she plops down on the arm of a couch, only to have it bust under her and fall to the floor, dust rising around her. Sighing with frustration, she stands and begins dusting her butt off. "I'm never takin' a nap again," she moans.

Ashlyn pushes her goggles up to her forehead and reaches out to try swat Cid's head lightly, though she, too is grinning. "Where are those furniture people?" she sighs as the couch finally dies benieth Delilah. She reaches up and replaces her goggles, dropping out of sight as she slides down her harness to the unsecured bolts protruding from the panel. Hooking one boot into the rungs of the ladder to steady herself, she begins tightening the bolts in place one by one, yelling up between each whir of the tool in her hands. "Shouldn't be more'n a quick job!" 'Whirr! Thunk!' "Piece fits perfectly!" 'Whirr! Thunk' "Won't even need ta do any patch jobs or nothin' I don't think!" 'Whirr! Thunk!'

"Come on, Del," replies Cid from the hatch still. "Burlies. Big brawny fellas. Aintcha never heard a burlies?" The gunhand ducks his head from Ashlyn's playful swat, then looks with some seriousness. "Maybe they don't use that word much these days?"

Delilah laughs as she dusts herself off. "Well, I ain't ever heard it, but we jus' never said it on Lilac, so that don't mean much." She grins and moves away from the dead couch. "Any big guys on Lilac were mostly farmers, ranchers an' the like." Smiling up at the bit of Ash she can see through the hatch, she calls out, "So, now that our air is workin' an' all, what's next? We got a panel on, what do we gotta do besides get some furniture in here?"

Ashlyn reaches the bottom of the pannel and braces the heavy treads of her boots against the hull as she begins moving along the bottom, securing the bolts as she goes, the rapid 'Whirr! Thump!' of bolts slamming into place floating up to those above her. "The skylight!" she yells up. "Work o'er the life support, an' the engine. Want ta make sure those're perfect, right?" She reaches the end of the reach of her harness and swings back to the ladder. "Make sure all the circuitry fer the flight controls are in order. Lot's ta do, still!"

Cid glances around across the Barrens, covering his eyes with a hand, able to just make out the Swaps from here. "Pretty nice view out here, Del," he says lying on the hull beside the hatch. "But, maybe a lil' hot fer ya delicate skin." The gunhand grins mischievously at Ashlyn, then admits in a lower tone, "Gorram hot fer me even. I can work on the engine some more if ya wanna do somethin' else."

Delilah snickers at Miya's reference to her paleness. "I ain't goin' out there, ya loon," she giggles. "Like ta 'bout give me a heart attack, bein' up that high. Used ta climb trees when I was little till I fell outta one, an' I ain't been back up that high since." Crossing the kitchen, she opens the fridge and reaches in for a couple bottles of cold water. "Y'all come in an' I give ya cold water, an' maybe some food, too. What time is it, anyways?" She eyes the stairs, as though expecting Torres' 'burlies' to make an entrance any moment.

Ashlyn grins as she climbs back up the ladder and settles at the hatch again. "Hey," she says. "The air's workin'. The hole's patched. The kitchen works. I don't suppose the order a what we get things done from here on out matters much. I can finish up gettin' this panel stuck in place an' welded if you'd rather be inside?" She turns to Delilah with a grin as she shoves the goggles back up on her forehead. "Aw, come on, Del! We can strap ya to a harness an' I can show ya how ta use an' arc welder!" Weather or not she's joking is entirely a mystery.

Cid nods to Ashlyn and says, "Alright. Just let me know otherwise, but I'll go see about the wiring for the distribution module. Shouldn't be too hard with that diagram an' all." He glances down into the hatch and says to Del, smiling, "Food always sounds shiny." He looks expectantly to Ashlyn. "How 'bout it? We go down, take a break?"

Delilah sets the water bottles on the counter for now, and goes about pulling some of the ingredients she made Grey sandwiches with the other day and arranges them quickly on a cutting board. Just like that, Italian deli sandwiches with salami, pastrami, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and mozzarella appear. Beside it, Greek sandwiches with feta cheese, gyro meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and olives are created, and then one with bacon, cheddar cheese, grilled chicken, lettuce, and green peppers is built. Cutting them into slices, she throws them onto the few plates they have that are decent to serve with and carries them over to - well, the table is dusty, so that's out. She just stands, holding the plates and waiting for them to appear.

"I'll follow in a second," Ashlyn says with a nod as she lets out the give on her harness and moves back out obviously with the intention of finishing off the bolts before the piece is welded in place. "Just set mine on the table," she calls down to Delilah. Let no one doubt that Ashlyn has no cares about any kind of grime.

And just then, Cid's 'burlies' arrive in the commons. Only the new arrival is not so much a burly as he is a somewhat scrawny, awkward teenager with a tag on his jumpsuit that reads 'Phillipe' and a welder that looks like it might topple the poor skinny kid over. "Miss Ashlyn said," he says in a squeaky voice, stopping short as he sees the commons is occupied. "She said ta come right on up.. when um... I mean, howdy, miss-ma'am... I mean, miss," he stutters at Delilah, looking down at his toes.

Cid nods to Ashlyn, then grabs the rope secured to a hand grip here. He slowly descends down the side of the hull of the firefly until he touches ground. From there Cid ambles to the open cargo ramp, only too ready for something to eat.

Ashlyn finishes off securing the last bolt in place, and the hole in the wall of the commons is officially gone! Well, not officially, since it's still not welded in place, but the newly fixed air conditioner is no longer pumping cold air out into the Barrens. Ashlyn hangs from a harness secured to an open hatchway looking down into the commons, her shorts traded for cargo pants, and safety goggles up on her forehead. Inside, the ship is notably much more comfortable, as at least part of the life support seems to be online now. Also, it seems the couch has finally passed the pearly gates of couch heaven. Maybe they don't have pearls on the gates in couch heaven. I bet it's buttons. In any case, the couch has collapsed.

Ashlyn watches Cid take the boring way back to the commons. Scrambling up the ladder back to the hatch, she leans through and holds out the power tool to the scrawny teenager in a mechanic's jumpsuit turning every shade of red in Delilah's presence. "Phillipe," she says. "Good ta see you again. Can ya take this fer me `fore I fall on it?" Yep, her intention is to drop through the hatch into the commons.

Cid's footsteps can be heard coming from the aft hall as he jogs up the stairs. Reaching the Commons he's surprised to see the skinny lad, Phillipe, and then even more so when he sees Ashlyn intends on dropping into the room from the hatch. "Nice ta meetcha, Phillipe," he says after Del introduces the pair. Arms akimbo, the gunhand gazes at the Captain and says, "I dunno, Ash. Maybe that's not such a good idea..."

The movements through the ship are done quietly and with much stealth. Bishop... is on the hunt. Sticking to the shadows of the still being repaired ship, the man slinks and clings to the walls as he tracks his prey.

"Psh. Just as high as the ranch's roof," Ashlyn says as she undoes her harness. "An' ain't even /half/ as high as the cliff. Just no water. But if yer gonna fret, someone could offer ta catch me!" she ads with a grin. "Y'all got /five/ seconds. Four... Three..."

Phillipe seems a little overwhelmed by all the activity, stuttering a few more times as he takes the tool from Ashlyn, having to reach up a significant distance to do so. "Hello, sir," he says to Cid, though he's watching Ashlyn with a look of fright. It's not like he's able to do anything even close to catching her. She might weigh more than he does! "Miss Ashlyn, ma'am, I don't think ya should..."

Bishop approaches the commons and pauses, hearing voices. Miss Ashlyn? Don't think she should. The brow of Bishop furrows a bit as he tilts his head, the brain taking time to process the words before he mutters to himself, "Bwuh?"

"Two... One... I see how it is!" Ashlyn says when no one offers to rescue her from her own insanity. The trick is to hit the ground and roll. Trajectory? Good. Available space? Decent enough. Clearance? No, not so much. Ashlyn's boot catches on the harness and no sooner has she begun to drop than she spins in the air with a surprised yelp before her boot frees from the strap, disengaging her ungracefully toward the floor. She lands butt-first with a loud 'Wham!' "Ow!" Ashlyn squeaks as she hits.

Phillipe leaps back with perhaps more fear than is warranted. After all he's already taken her power tools, the only person she's really endangering is herself. "Ohmygosh Miss Ashlyn! Are you alright?! Do you need a doctor?!"

Bishop comes out from around the corner, his hunting rifle/squirt gun being lowered as he frowns. "Ashlyn?!" He calls out after hearing her yelp 'ow'.

Cid swears and cringes as the Captain tumbles downward in a sort of delayed spin-roll deal that lands Ashlyn painfully on her behind. Crouching down beside her Cid says with some concern, "Geez, Ash, are ya alright?"

"The floor is hard! It hurts when you fall on it!" Ashlyn yelps back to Bishop or anyone needing an explanation for what tragedy just occurred, her eyes squinched closed and both hands on her suitably tenderized rear end. "I'm okay. Someone call me an idiot so I know you're not sparing my feelings." It's readily apparent that aside from having bruised both herself and her ego, the captain will have no lasting damage, at least.

Phillipe sets the tools on the ground so he wring his hands worriedly. "Is there a doctor on the ship? Should I go get them?" he asks despite Ashlyn's response.

"A doctor? She'll bite your head off ifn' you try." Bishop states towards Phillipe before moving towards Ashlyn and kneeling next to her. "You... are an idiot, but far to adorable to be called one." He cannot help it, he glances at Cid and begins to chuckle at Ashlyn's expense.

Cid stands up then, shaking his head to Phillipe. "I think she's gonna live, boy," he grins. The gunhand shrugs at Bishop in return, the grin still on his face. He sighs dramatically for Ashlyn's sake, and says, "Well, leastways, next time ya'll consider the stairs. That's what they're for. Cap'n." Finally, he shakes his head, chuckling to himself. Times like these one realizes ... kids gotta play. Even Captains!

"That's why I love you, Jason," Ashlyn manages, as she too begins laughing. Can one laugh at their own expense? Well, Ashlyn is certainly doing a good job of it. Who wouldn't laugh? Here she is, surrounded by people, looking like a total fool, with both hands on her butt. The only moderately graceful way out of the situation is to laugh! "The stairs looked borin'!" she says to Cid as she struggles gingerly to her feet. "Oh, ow," she laughs as she rights herself. "Oh, jeeze, Phillipe, it's okay. But ya know what, we prob'ly ain't gonna get ta weldin' that thing in place taday. You wanna stick around fer food though, maybe?"

Phillipe goes back to turning various shades of embarrassed as he very dutifully studies his shoes rather than watch Ashlyn rub the spot she'd bruised. "No, ma'am," he stammers. "Thank's for the offer, but if ya don't need me I oughta get back ta what Major had me workin' on." He hazards a glance after a moment to see if she's done before looking fully up from his shoes. "It was nice seein' you again, miss Ashlyn, and nice meetin' everyone else, but I'd best be goin' if everything's alright."

Jason looks at Phillipe and nods then glances back to Ashlyn grinning a bit. "Well good, I'm glad that's the reason you love me. But next time something looks boring could you just, utilize it anyway? Totally ruined my surprise y'know."

Cid waves to Phillipe, then grins at the pair. "I can see you both have things well in hand." He turns and heads for the entryway to the fore hallway, saying as he twists around to Bishop and Ashlyn, "Gonna wash up a bit, then come an' see about eatin'" Cid walks out of sight around the corner.

"As long as I'm not utilizin' it out of common sense," Ashlyn says with a grin as she limps over to one of the seating impliments that didn't crumble to dust today, namely a somewhat ragged chair beside the table. "An' ya still got time ta surprise me." She cringes as she sits down. "Long as the surprise ain't that you've took up the grand tradition a the birthday spankin' `cause that's just right out!" She pauses to chuckle slightly. "Later, Cid!"

"Well it /was/ going to be a spanking. Now I'm just going to have to wait until you're all patched up. Don't want to ruffle you while you're all injured." Bishop looks over to Cid and nods to him, winking a bit before returning attention to Ashlyn, "What were you doing up there anyway?"

Ashlyn points to the no longer giant gaping hole in the commons wall. "Finally fixin' the wall now that the air's workin'," she says sheepishly. "Figured it's be easier ta just cool the ship rather than all a Boros." She shifts a little in the chair, settling more comfortably. "Ain't space-worthy till it's been welded, but it's plenty insulated enough ta keep the air in. It's almost kinda like a ship now, huh?"

Bishop grins and gently strokes Ashlyn's hair. "Yeah, it's becoming more and more like home. I've been out tryin' to find amnemities for it but it ain't goin' so hot. Tough times out there has folks askin' higher than usual prices."

Ashlyn points to the remains of the couch lurking in the corner with a slight grin. "Tell me `bout it. Already ordered new couches, but they just didn't show up in time. At least all the beds came in on time, but the couches were s'post ta be here a week back!" She looks around at what else needs replacing. "I dunno. I can build some a it if we really gotta, but I ain't no carpenter." She presses on the table and the legs give a little as it wobbles slightly. "Neither was whoever built this." She grins. "We'll get by. Even if the place ain't all set up `fore we're space worthy, it's just... work in progress."

"Oh you ordered the new beds already?" Jason asks her with a tilt of his head. "Did you you know.. get us a really tiny one that is going to force someone to sleep on the floor? Cause if you did, you're on the floor."

Ashlyn sticks her tongue out at Bishop. "No chivalry. None at all!" she chides. "No, I got one the same size as was on the Theory. Ya know, it's five square feet bigger in there than the Theoy's. We should install a potted garden in the corner. For Ralph," she says was a decisive nod. "He is a garden gnome after all."

"And who is going to take care of the Garden?" Bishop asks towards Ashlyn with narrowed eyes. "Hmm? So I'm being demoted from couch guy and seducer of the Captain, to the gardener?"

"Ralph will take care of it," Ashlyn says with a nod. "He's got a tiny little gnome-sized wheel barrel and everything. I think he's prepared. He's up for the task." She leans back in the chair with a cringe. "Because god knows I'd let it die what with all the other stuff ta do `round here," she ads with a grin that says she really doesn't mind 'all the stuff' at all. "So what is it you was out lookin' for anyway?"

Bishop just grins at Ashlyn as he is kneeling near her. "What? You expect me to just up and tell you what I am out looking for? Oh darling, why would I pass up the chance to finally get one past you? Nope. You're going to have to wait." Leaning forward he kisses her forehead. "I'm going to go see if I can find the doc and at the same time set my evil plans into motion."

Ashlyn smiles happily at the kiss, and it's not until a moment later that his words sink in. "What? 'Past me'? 'Evil plan'? Lu's in on it? Hey you can't go right after sayin' that! How fair is that?" She cops a mock-hurt look with a full on quivering lip that is totally ruined by the fact that she's trying not to laugh.

Bishop cackles, a nice over the top villain cackle as he stands up and moves off. "Go get some ice for your ankle darling. I'll ... be... back. MUHAHAHAH." Turning, he overly dramatically leaps through the commons area exit. Shortly after the sound of crashing can be heard along with a muttered "Son of a!".

Lucinda emerges from the same hallway Bishop just crash landed in, looking back over her shoulder as she walks. "I swear, that boy has some sort of imbalance." She mumbles, mostly to herself as she enters the commons.

"Isn't it great? But if you think that was bad you should a seen what /I/ just did," Ashlyn informs the doctor as she enters. She points up at the still open hatch in the ceiling above the commons. "I fell off the roof. It was supposed ta be a jump, but things just didn't work out that way." The way she's laughing suggests that she survived the incident more or less intact.

Lucinda finds Ashlyn with her eyes, offering her a smile which actually just might be genuine. "Is that so? Perhaps its time we invest in a ladder?" She asks while crossing into the galley, though her tone is light. Apparently, she's in the pursuit of coffee. Taking a mug from where its drip drying next to the sink, she moves to fill it before asking. "Any permanent damage?"

"Just to my pride," Ashlyn says. "Right in front of Bishop, Cid, Delilah, and Phillipe." She makes a falling motion with one hand into the other. "Wham!" She turns and gestures to the newly placed chunk of hull. If it's any indication what part of her body broke the fall, the cringe she gives as she shifts in her chair is pretty clear about it. "But it was worth it. Now we have AC and a lack of very large holes!" She turns back to Lucinda. "Is everthin' workin' in the medbay? I ain't gone through it yet."

Lucinda leans against the counter, steaming mug in hand. "Clean, yes. Working...not entirely. I'm afraid it will take a more technical mind than mine in order to get the diagnostic machine chirping again. But we're functional. Mainly because I don't require a diagnostic machine." Bragging, perhaps, but at least she's doing it modestly?

Ashlyn appears to think about it a bit. "So it's not high on the list, then? Not while yer here at least?" She looks back toward the medbay. "You need me ta look at it, anyway? Not familiar with the machine, but ain't never stopped me from breakin' somethin' b'fore." She grins.

Lucinda blows a stream of air across the surface off the black liquid in her mug, hoping to cool it a degree or two before she takes that first scalding sip. "There's still hope. And I'm sure if anyone can fix it, its you. You always seemed handy with the...handy things." She makes a hand gesture like hammering a nail, because that should be synonymous with Ashlyn, apparently.

"The nice thing about broken things is if I tear it ta shreads an' still can't do nothin' about it, nothin's lost," Ashlyn imparts. "An' I'll be happy ta put it on the great long list a many things that need gettin' done `fore we're whole an' complete." She leans back and the motion brings her eyes to the missing skylight. "Yer next," she threatens the small hole, raising one finger toward it. "I dunno what it is. It feels really good taday. Like things is gonna be right like they ain't been in a long time. Even though my ass is probably purple," she adds with a lopsided grin.

Lucinda raise her mug in salute to Ashlyn as she pushes off her leaning post. "Well, put some ice on it if the icemaker made it to the top of the to-do list already. I should offer, but there are some things I won't do, even in the name of medicine." Even though if it were actually medically warranted, of course Lu would do it. "I'll be back in my bunk, should anyone need me."

Ashlyn grins and waves farewell to the doctor. "G'night, Lu," she says happily. "Sleep well. I'll see ya `round." For now, though, she's more content to remain where she's sitting then get on the ice issue right away.

Least that's what my Momma says.

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:00:47 GMT

IC Time: March 31

Delilah emerges from the huge piles of junk towering over her, with arms full of grocery bags. She's wearing a sun dress in hues of light green and pink, and is followed by a young man of solid build and tan skin, who carries the heavier of the bags. Delilah couldn't look more pleased with herself. "Aaaaaaash!" she calls out up to the hole in the hull. "I hope that fridge is workin' cuz I got stuuuuuuuuff! An' company!"

Ashlyn once again appears at the giant gaping hole in the side of the galley, grease painted across her exposed skin, her braided hair pulled back in her bandana. "Yeah!" she yells back, taking a moment to search out the origin of the voice amidst the scrap. She stops as she catches sight of Delilah and her new friend. "Company's always welcome," she calls down, though she looks moderatly surprised. "I'll be right down!" She vanishes back inside the hole in the side of the commons, presumably headed down toward the cargo bay.

"I sure hope that yeah means it's workin'!" Delilah laughs cheerfully while leading the man with her inside. "Otherwise I'm gonna be awful busy tonight cookin'."

"Oh, I'd help ya, Miss Delanie," the man chimes in, looking around the ship with wide eyes. "I don't know muc 'bout cookin', now, but I can stir real well. Least that's what my Momma says."

Delilah cringes when the man mangles her name, but doesn't correct him. Weaving up the stairs with all the bags in hand, she mumbles behind her, "I guess we'll hafta see the state of the fridge first, huh?"

Ashlyn meets them at the top of the stairs. "Watch out fer the missin' one!" she cautions before they reach it, holding out her hand to take the bags from Delilah. "Fridge been up an' runnin' since this mornin'. Who's yer friend, Delilah?" she asks, looking the man up and down before deciding she does not know him.

Delilah lights up when Ashlyn announces that the fridge is done, and she happily hands off her bags and turns to make the introduction. "This here's Ryan," she offers, moving so that he can come into the Commons as well. "He was at the market when I was buyin' stuff, an' he offered ta help me carry it all home."

Ryan blankly stares at Ashlyn until Delilah stops speaking, and then his face breaks out into a huge smile. "Uhh...yeah. Yeah, Miss Delanie here jus' shouldn'ta had ta carry all that heavy stuff by herself, so's I offered ta come 'long." He stops speaking for a moment as he surveys the mountain of mess that is the Commons. "Wow. Guess y'all are busy, huh? Whoo boy. Can't take off in space iffn' ya got a hole in yer ship, that's fer darn certain."

Ashlyn hooks a thumb in the direction of the engine room with a grin as she takes the bags. "Or the engine in forty pieces an' the life support offline." She looks sheepishly at him. "Appologies fer the heat," she says with a chuckle. "Name's Ash, cap'n a this here rust bucket." She uses the insult fondly, however. Turning to move over to the refridgerator, she drops the bags beside the door and regards her grease-stained hands. "E'scuze me one moment," she says, going to the sink.

"Aww heck ma'am, I live in this here heat," Ryan drawls out, setting the bags down on the floor as well and scratching his head as he speaks. "Ain't no air conditionin' workin' at a open air market, ya know?"

Delilah seems to be ignoring Ryan completely, and is busying herself with exclaiming at the cold air inside the fridge, and then organizing her goods inside of it. "Ash, is Suji gonna be here for dinner with us?" she calls out, head in fridge.

Ryan shuffles his feet, not very sure what to do with himself. "Gosh," he muses, "I don't think I ever been in one-a these afore. So, when y'all take off, does everythin' go floatin' in the air iffn' is ain't pinned down?"

Ashlyn shrugs as she rinses the grime of whatever it is she was working on at their arrival from her hands. "I `magine so," she says. "`Least he ain't said he won't be." She looks over her shoulder at Ryan. "Nah, s'got artificial gravity," she says as if that wasn't a dumb question at all, ships having had artificial gravity since leaveing Earth-that-was. "`Least she will, once Cid an' I fix that, too," she ads with a chuckle. "Well, glad this ain't a mysery fer you," she says, drying her hands on her shorts. "Pretty warm fer most a us. You need help with that, Delilah? What're ya makin'?"

"Ohhhhhhhh, right," Ryan replies, with a clueless look in his eye. "Artificial...yeah. That makes sense. Sure is good somebody thoughta that, otherwise ya'd have one heck of a mess when ya took off! An' how would ya get 'round?" He laughs, as though this is the most hilarious thought.

Delilah makes a sort of snorting/coughing noise before appearing out of the fridge. "I jus' thought I would make some big deli sandwiches," she says, pointing to a loaf of substyle bread sticking out of one of the bags. "That way the food can be cold an' it won't get hotter in here, ya know?" She's avoiding looking at Ryan at all costs.

"Whoa, deli sandwiches. Yep, sandwiches are awful tasty," Ryan says to no one in particular, big grin still on his tanned face. "Preeeeetty tasty. Iffn' ya ask me."

Ashlyn catches the lack of looking at Ryan. "Hey, Del, we ain't e'zactly set up fer company just yet," she says quietly, offering to ask the shop-boy to leave without being to blatent. "Couches an' table're `bout set ta fall in on themselves, an' the replacements're long o'erdue. Maybe we could be more hospitable a week or so down the road?"

Delilah looks at Ashlyn with grateful eyes. "Oh, yeah. Yeah. /Yeah/, we ain't really in a state ta have guests, no. You're right. There's so much dust an' there ain't nowheres ta sit. Plus, it's jus' so darn hot." Having said this, she meeps quietly under her breath and shoves her head back in the fridge, putting more groceries in.

Ryan just looks around and laughs. "Y'all sure are right 'bout that. Those couches don't look like they could hold a fly, much less a big boy like me." He beams some more and points to the hull hole. "Sure do have a pretty view of the yard, though. But I wouldn't let nobody in here, nosiree. Gotta get yerselfs in order first, that's right." He nods in complete agreement with what Ashlyn's saying.

Ashlyn offers up a crooked, but altogether genuine grin. "Thank ya so much fer helpin' Delilah back with the groceries, sir," she says. She pulls out her wallet and fishes out a few wrinkled bills. "Sorry it ain't much, but fer yer troubles," she says handing them over. "Maybe when we get ourselves ordered we'll be a little more ready fer company. Provided the new furniture ever /does/ arrive," she says with a laugh.

Ryan blinks at the money Ashlyn offers, and starts to stammer. "Oh, no Miss Ashed, I couldn't take yer money jus' fer helpin' a lady out. My Momma wouldn't never fergive me, no no." He steps forward a few paces and calls out to the cook, "It was awful nice seein' ya, Miss Delanie. I'll be sure ta tell my Ma all 'bout ya!"

Delilah yanks her head out of the freezer and smiles sweetly at Ryan. "Alright, then, Ryan, an' thanks fer helpin' me home. I'll be sure ta find ya iffn' I ever go back ta that market again." She waves energetically and turns back around to mouth at Ash, 'tell me when he's gone' while she arranges some boxes on the counter.

Ryan shuffles his feet some more, watching Delilah's back, before tipping an imaginary hat at Ashlyn and moping down the stairs and out the hold.

"Well," Ashlyn says uncertainly as he turns down the tip. "If you insist." She really does sound reluctant to let him leave without tipping him, but Delilah wants him gone, so she rolls with it. Once she sees him walking back to town through the hole in the commons, she turns to Delilah. "He's gone," she says, now looking like she's trying to contain laughter.

"OhthankGod," Delilah bursts, rushing over to throw her arms around Ashlyn's shoulders with a huge sigh. "He's awful cute an' was givin' me looks at the market. so's when he offered ta bring the bags back with me I thought it'd be a good idea, but it really, really wasn't." She moans and continues, "20 minutes about his Momma, Ash. I mean, I like a guy ta like their Ma an' all, be respectful an' all that, but five minutes in he was sayin' I ought drop the food off an' come meet his Ma so's he could see iffn' she thought it'd be alright fer him ta ask me over fer dinner." She pulls back and rakes her fingers through her red hair, tuking it behind her ears. "An' he jus' didn't seem ta have a workin' brain. Why would the Lord put such a tiny brain in such a pretty man?" She slumps against the fridge in frustration. "I ain't never gonna find a date. Much less a husband."

Ashlyn is ambushed! "Ak!" she says in surprise. "Well," she says, returning the hug, "at least he was nice." But that's about all she can offer. "So how's the fridge? Did ya see if the ice was workin' while you were in there? Should be but needs some time ta kick on." She looks around the kitchen briefly. "If it is, I think the rest I can leave `till I got some other things up an' runnin'."

Lucinda emerges from the aft hallway that leads up from the decks below. Her brow is knit together as if just being challenged by the most perplexing puzzle that is now going to give her a headache until she figures it out. As she glances up and sees Ashlyn and Delilah going on about groceries and men, the wrinkles only deepen. "I just met the strangest man on the way up. I swear I told him my name three times, and he insisted on calling me Lydia. Really, does Lucinda sound anything like Lydia?" She asks the pair, as if that simple question is the plaque of her existance.

"He was nice," Delilah acknowledges with a sigh. "Jus' not...jus' not right, ya know?" She turns back to the fridge and peers in the freezer. "Nah, ice ain't workin' yet, but that ain't a big deal. I'm sure it'll start in soon." When Lu enters she turns and bites her lip to surpress a smile. "Yeah, kept callin' me Delanie," she offers by way of explanation. "Yeah, Ash, I think I'm good now in here 'nough fer ya ta get started on the life support. Now I got a fridge an' stove, I'm awful grateful an' ready fer business."

"`Ey, Lucinda," Ashlyn says with a grin. "He was just helpin' Del carry her gorceries back now that the fridge is workin'." The captain/engineer is fairly well coated in grease save for her hands, and her hair is tied back in a bandana. "With that bein' fixed, Cid an' I're gonna move on ta the rest a the ship. I'm gettin' aweful tired a this heat. Weren't this bad in the middle a the summer back home." As much as she says the climate is unlpleasant, she's still wearing the same relaxed smile she'd adopted the moment she set foot on the ship.

Lucinda is, despite the heat, still in her sweater, though at least she's brave enough to scrunch the sleeves up to her elbows displaying the rows of black dotted tattoos that encircle each wrist. "Next time may I suggest renting a cart to pull them back here. Less muss. And likely more brains." She says, glancing over her shoulder as if still preturbed by the whole situation. "I suppose that is a strike on the men, but I hope you were at least successful in the watermelon venture?" She ask Del while offering Ash a polite smile in greeting.

Delilah snorts at Lu's comment about brains, and shakes her head while beginning to pull everything she put into the fridge out and line it up on the floor. "Nah, Lu, I wouldn't go buy a watermelon without ya. I promised ya a watermelon trip, an' so I waited till you were ready ta head over there." She sighs and yanks out a gallon of milk, setting it beside the cheese. "I only put this stuff in there ta avoid him," she explains. "Now I gotta take it all out an' clean it afore - Lu!" She cries out when she catches sight of something dark on the doctor's wrists. "What's wrong with yer arms? Ya ain't got a rash er a bruise er somethin' like that, huh? What'dja do ta yerself?" She rushes over and reaches out for Lu's arm, which she'll take and inspect if allowed.

Ashlyn seems startled by the sudden change in subject, craning her neck, but seeing nothing wrong with Lucinda's arms. She edges past the two to the refridgerator. She fishes one of the bottles of water out of the appliances doorway, grinning at the chill. Been a while since they had cold water! "Yer arms okay, Lu?" she asks from the short distance to keep her from getting tangled in the two of them.

Lucinda looks mildly taken aback by Delilah's suggestion and suddenly being manhandled by the woman. Which would make it womanhandled, no? "What? No. I mean, I don't think so?" She begins scrutinizing her own arms right along with Delilah. Of course, oblivious to the fact that Del means the tattoos. "I don't -see- anything."

"Right here, Lu, these big black marks!" Delilah licks her finger and starts rubbing on them before Lu can pull away. "An' it won't come off, either. What /is/ this?" She leans forward, peering close. "I mean, didja write on yerself all the way around yer arms? Is it morse code fer somethin' ya hafta remember? I can't tell iffn' it's a rash er somethin' ya wrote on yerself in a desperate moment with no paper."

Ashlyn arches an eyebrow as she watches Delilah examine the tatoos, cringing as she licks her fingers and grinds them into Lucinda's skin, wondering how well that's going to go over. She just stays silent for now, though, puling off the bottle top and taking a swig. "I /had/ wondered what those meant," she offers.

Lucinda tries to pull her hands out of Delilah's grasp once she realized what the little cook refers to, and is now more importantly trying to clean /off/. "They're permanent." She tries to shake off the offending fingers before her skin is rubbed raw. "Tattoos." She explains further, though why anyone would just get permanent bracelets of repeating dots, she doesn't delve into on this go around.

"Tattoos?" Delilah asks, peering up at Lu's face with concern. "Ya got tattoos of little dots on yer arms that ain't never go away?" She glances over at Ash, looking for support here. "Why in the world would ya wanna do that? What do they mean?" She has, at least, let go of Lu's arm and is fiddling with her hands, trying not to let her anxiety show through them. "An' how long have ya had 'em? It's jus'...I never noticed them afore."

Ashlyn just shrugs to Delilah, not sure what she wants from her with the silent querry. "Yeah," she offers. "Ya always got yer sweater down o'er them." She hops up on the counter and takes another drink of her water.

Lucinda takes a step backwards from Del, putting a hint of distance between all of them as the questions start to flow. "Each one is a memory I would like to retain. A mini-memorial to events, people, times in my life or lessons learned. Its nothing, its just...nothing. I've had them since my med school days." As if reminded about her sweater, she starts to tug down the sleeves, despite the heat. "Sorry they upset you."

"No, Lu, I'm not upset!" Delilah cries, frantic not to offend. "I jus' didn't realize that's what they were, I ain't never seen 'em before on ya. An' ta tell ya the truth, they seem a bit outta place. I might not be a person what would go an' have somethin' put on me fer all eternity, but that don't mean I'm gonna be upset at somebody else iffn' they do. Less it's my kid." She grins reassuringly. "Honest, Lu, I jus' thought ya had some big bruises er somethin' it kinda scared me is all." She takes a step forward and points to Lu's right wrist. "What did the first one ya ever got, what was that ta remember?"

Ashlyn remains where she is, quietly listening with a look of interest on her features as she takes a moment to relax and take a break from her work.

Lucinda scratches at them absently, even though they've all long since healed. She hasn't added one since the unfortunate demise of James with Matty's help. Talk about old wounds. "The first time I made a misdiagnosis that would have led to a patient's death. Had it not been merely in class, that is. It was a foolish error I made when I let the fact that I thought I was right outweigh the possibility that I may have been wrong." She finds it easily, for its the dot that's centered right ontop of her left wrist's main vein.

Delilah nods and takes another step forward. "What's the next one fer? That musta been awful hard, knowin' iffn' yer patient were real he woulda died. I can't 'magine how I'd deal with it iffn' somebody died everytime I put too much garlic in somethin'." She smiles, a soft, sweet welcoming smile. "Then again, can't really have too much garlic, can ya? What's the next one fer?" she repeats again.

Lucinda turns her wrist, pointing to the next in line. All in all there are likely hundreds dotting her wrists. "To remind me that I'm terribly allergic garlic." A joke, to be sure, but to list what each and every dot is for is a bit overwhelming for the doctor who hardly shares anything personal with anyone.

Delilah wrinkles her nose and laughs at Lu. Not typically so graceful with the subtle, Delilah for once sets her aside her habit of loudly talking about uncomfortable things and instead points to the stuff on the floor. Some of it is still in bags from where Ryan set it down, and some of the perishables are lined up in front of the fridge. "Would ya help me get this stuff put away?" she asks quietly, watching Lu's reaction. "I was thinkin' maybe we could go out an' buy that watermelon after. Though I'll hafta find a different market than the one Ryan was at. His momma owns the produce stand there." Making a face, Delilah turns and starts pulling more things out of the fridge so she can organize them.

Lucinda follows Delilah towards the little galley, bending to grab a bag to help sort it out. If there is one thing Lu is very capable of, and more than happy to help with, its organization. They say its therapeutic after all. And who needs more therapy than Lu. Okay, the whole ship needs therapy of some sort. "I'd like that. Though I am no watermelon specialist. Beyond the thought that I enjoy them. Haven't had watermelon in quite some time." She imparts, absently reading the label of a box of protein flake 'cereal'.

Delilah sorts in silence with Lu for a few moments before she murmurs to the other woman, "Ya know...I have all kindsa scars an' whatnot on my hands an' arms from cookin'. An' I can tell ya where each an' every one came from, an' what I was cookin' at the time." She smiles and points to a bag way over in the corner. "Let's just get the cold stuff put away, an' then we'll grab a melon."

Lucinda frowns at the nutritional values of the 'food' contained in the box, and merely sets it aside before she comments on its evils. "Is the refridgerator unit working then?" She asks, beginning to pick through her allotted bag looking for things that require refridgeration. "The only scar I have is from that knifing." She says absently, more likely to impart such details when she's otherwise occupied with a task and focusing on it instead of what she's saying.

"Yeah, I bet that weren't such a great day fer ya," Delilah remarks, waiting for fridge food from Lu. "Ash says she got it workin' this mornin', though the ice maker ain't kicked in yet. I didn't get much that needs ta go in the freezer, though Ash /did/ have a cravin' fer ice cream the other day, so's we should probably grab some 'a that when we head out." She grabs for a nearby bag and pulls out a jar of something dark and reddish. "Found a whole lot what ain't available elsewheres. Some stuff I ain't never seen afore. Sorta excited ta try it all." She pauses, then glances at Lu again. "What was yer last one fer, Lu?"

Lucinda looks up with a box of immitation butter in each hand. "Last one what?" She looks around at the bags by her feet as if missing whatever Delilah is talking about. "I think these are for...buttering things?" She offers the boxes towards Delilah, as if certain they now contain the plague and she must be rid of them post haste. Of course, the fact the woman is referring to the tattoos around her wrist has completely escaped the good doctor.

Grey ventures out again into the Barrens - but this time, by the time he nears the Compass crew, he seems to have been scavenging there for a decent while already. "Hey!" he calls out, trying to catch their eyes through that hole in the hull by waving his arms. "You folks got any water up in there?" He holds up an empty canteen in his other hand.

Delilah frowns at Lu to hold back a laugh, and straightens from the fridge when she hears a familiar voice. "Is that Capn' Grey?" she asks, confused, as she walks over to the hole and peers out. "Hey, Capn' Grey!" she calls, waving and smiling. "We sure do got water, an' it's cold fer once, too! Come on up an' ya can help Ash make our air work!" Turning around from the hull, she shrugs and laughs. "Might as well make him work fer us ta get cold water," she jokes.

Ashlyn hears a voice through the hole in the hull, and hops off the counter, moving over with Delilah to the missing plate, raising one hand in greeting. "Hey, cap'n Grey!" she yells back down to him. "What're ya doin' wanderin about in the scrapheaps?" No matter that he could ask right back, what are you doing /living/ here, but that's neither here nor there.

Lucinda is left with two hands full of butter, as Delilah abandons her for the pursuit of MAN. Sighing, she moves to put it in the refridgeration unit herself. As she tucks the butter substance into a knook on the door, she frowns at how things are organized. While the others are occupied with inviting Grey up for water and work, she goes about rearranging things as inconspicuously as possible. Cheese units should go here. Pickled items need to go down on -that- shelf. Processed meat products should go down in the drawer and well out of her sight. Yes.

Grey grins broadly and waves his arms. "'Ey, Captain Ashlyn, Delilah! Cold water, I'll be up in a flash!" And true to his word, he navigates his way up the ship in mere seconds, driven by the thought of cool, refreshing water. Now, up-close, it's very visible that Grey is heavily tanned, stark against the neutral colors of his flightsuit. "I'm jus' out here tryin' to scrounge about for some decent used parts," he says to Ashlyn in answer to her previous question. "Seein' if I can't get that Scorpio of mine up an' functional again, replace some of the parts and systems, even." He looks about the interior of the ship, nodding to himself. "Not bad, not bad. Doctor Delray! Nice to see you again." He looks around to the others gathered. "Owe this woman my life." He nods to reaffirm his statement before grinning and gesturing aroundh im. "What's this all about, then?"

Delilah flings her arms around Grey for a hug. Let someone else get the man water, hugs are far more important, especially for men whom she was with when their world got turned upside down. "Capn' Grey," she says again, as though affirming it's him. "Wanna stay fer dinner? I'm making deli sub sandwiches with all the fixin's an' Lu an' I are gonna go out an' buy a watermelon." When Grey says he owes Lu his life, Delilah peers at her curiously. "Which one is that?" she asks.

"So do most a us," Ashlyn says, grinning at Lucinda. "Water's `bout the only thing we've had fer a while seein' as the fridge's been down, so we got lots a it." She gestures to the refridgerator that Lucinda is digging in. "As for what it's about?" Ashlyn gestures around to the ship around them. "We got us a new ship!" she says with a grin.

Lucinda straightens abruptly as someone uses her professional name, of course, causing her to smack her head smartly on the inside of the refrigerator as she had literally absorbed herself in her work. "Fuck." The good doctor cusses, uncharacteristically as she emerges, rubbing her head ruefully. Her face is flushed, probably a combination from embarrassement at a) hitting her head b) cussing because of it and c) all this talk about her saving people's lives. "Captain..." She greets Grey, using the term Delilah uses for lack of a better one. When she pulls back her hand, there's a few droplets of blood on her fingertips. With a sigh and an overwhelming urge to retreat, she says quietly. "If you all will excuse me. I better tend to this." Leaving her fridge feng shui for another time.

"Oof!" Grey exclaims when hugged by Delilah. "Down, girl. And yes, that /is/ a hydraulic alignment pipe in my pocket, though I /am/ happy to see you." He grins and runs his fingers through his short hair. "The one where I was poisoned in a pub, and she happened to charge in and resuscitate me," he summarizes for Delilah. "And dinner sounds wonderful. Just got so damn caught up in this stuff that I worked straight through lunch!" He grins and nods to Ashlyn. "Congrats on the new ship. Guess she needs a tiny bit of work first, though, yeah?" He nods to the hole in the hull. "Nothin' doin', how's the rest of her? Engines, life support, most things good?" He seems a bit sad when Lucinda decides to retreat - especially since the injury seems to be his fault. "Sorry..." he offers weakly.

Lucinda gives Grey a pinched smile as she exits, her hand back to rubbing at her lump forming on her scalp. Its really not his fault, though. Lu tends to retreat from everyone that she's not doctoring.

Delilah looks extremely, extremely confused when Grey starts talking about pipes with innuendo. Delilah doesn't do innuendo. "Uhh...I'm happy ta see ya too, Capn' Grey," she says baffled, giving him a look of 'you're so weird.' "No, I was jus' asking Lu which dot on her arm was fer the time she - " But Lu is gone by the time Dela turns around, and she frowns. "I shoulda known it would be too much ta expect her ta come shoppin' with me," she sighs. "I was really hopin' she would, though. She ain't never talked ta me less she had ta." When Grey asks about the life support, she turns to Ashlyn and grins.

"Don't let it get under yer skin," Ashlyn tells Delilah as Lucinda excuses herself. She smiles at Grey. "Well, this is the room in the best repair," she says with a chuckle. "Not a whole lot works yet. An' don't worry. I ain't gonna make ya help with the air conditionin'." She shakes her head a little. "With me, Cid, an'... everone, we'll get it online soon enough." Was there a pause before 'everyone'?

Grey chuckles as well when Ashlyn alludes to the state of the ship. "Air conditioning, I'm no good with. It's the main guts of the ship that I'm somewhat knowledgeable with. If you need a hand with that..." He grins and shrugs a shoulder. "My ship ain't too far from this place neither, so it'd make sense for me to come over and give you folks a hand once in a while. Mine is functional, I'm just trying to replace some of the old and worn-down parts 'fore I take her up."

Delilah scrunches her brows and looks over at Ashlyn quickly. "Suji's stayin' ta help us, right?" she asks quickly, concerned. "I mean, he acted the other day like he was gonna be 'round fer a while, an' he knows an' awful lot 'bout that stuff. He's stayin', right?" Moving to the fridge again, she opens it and grabs a water bottle for Grey, though she pauses when she sees the state of the stores inside. "Aww, Lu," she sighs, tossing the bottle in Grey's direction before focusing on reordering everything the way she had it before. "Ya know, I had this stuff in here like this fer a reason..." Grumble grumble grumble.

"Yeah," Ashlyn says. "Suji'll be around a while as far as I know..." But here she turns her attention back to Grey. "But, uh... If anyone asks `bout him, Grey... This ain't where he is." She offers up a rueful smile, deciding it's too late to try and pull one over somehow without looking the total fool.

Grey chuckles yet again, snatching the waterbottle out of the air with a deft hand. "Right. Suji, not here." He only repeats the name he hears used - he only met Sujiko once, to his recollection, and it was brief. Still, it's simple to respect the wishes of friends. "My ship's still in storage, and I think I might've drunkenly offered crewmanship the other night to some nurse."

Delilah peers back from her reorganizing to arch an eyebrow at Grey. "A nurse?" she asks, running her hands in her hair to get it out of her face. "Was she pretty?" She winks, much as she did the day she tried to play matchmaker and hook Lucinda up with Grey. "An' are ya gonna keep her now that yer sober?" Her attention goes back to the fridge and she finally seems to have everything in order, because she shuts the door and grabs the package of freshly baked sub bread sticking out of a bag. "Ya ain't 'lergic ta anythin', are ya? An' ya like most things what might go onna sandwich?"

Ashlyn smiles gratefully. "Thank you, Grey," she says. Shifting the toolbelt on her hips she looks over her shoulder at Delilah. "Delilah? I'm gonna go see what's ta be done fer the life-support. Maybe I'll have the air workin' inside the week an' can finally have that piece of hull welded on, eh?" She takes a few steps back toward the engine room. "You know where ta find me," she says with a smile.

Put'cher pants on Bish, ya' got a guest!

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:43:40 GMT

IC Time: March 27

Ashlyn pulls her bandana back from her hair and wipes the sweat off her forehead with her arm as she steps back from the stove, which indeed now looks like a stove, not a rusted out husk. Her tank top is soaked with sweat and muck, as are her shorts, and she drops her wrench into her toolbelt as she sizes up the appliance. Gingerly, she reaches out for the burner knob, her fingers twitching over it hesitantly.

Delilah is standing over Ashlyn's shoulder, biting her lip hard and nearly swaying with the effort not to bounce from foot to foot. She's in cutoff jean shorts and a purple t-shirt, which clings to her sweaty skin. "Hurry, Ash, hurry!" she whispers urgently, as though speaking too loudly would cause the stove to explode. "I can't stand the suspense!" Grinning, she goes back to chewing her lower lip and peering.

"Gha!" Perhaps Ashlyn didn't know Delileh was so close behind her. Grinning back at the cook, she chuckles and prods the knob again once before flipping it on. Blue and yellow flame spring to life on one of the burners with a quiet 'whoosh!' "Yes!" she cheers, turning back to Delilah. "Well, that's one more thing off the ta-do list," she says. We get the life-support an' the cooler workin' an this place'll be downright comfy."

This is such an immensely exciting moment, it calls for a hug. Delilah flings her arms around Ash, though she's at least careful of the burning flame behind them. "Yer marvelous, Ash!" she cries, beaming from ear to ear. "Now I can boil water an' get ta work on cleanin' it up in here, an' iffn' I can get the dust out I can go buy some new plates an' whatnot, an' then start cookin' small meals so we ain't gotta eat puppy meat er fish'nstuff, an' - /ohmyLord/ does that mean the oven'll work now, too? Cuz I can bake stuff...well, maybe not till we get the air workin', or we'll all die of heat 'posure. But I could bake cookies an' bread an' stuff so it ain't got that nasty smell in here!" Letting go of the Captain and settling back on her own two feet, she begins to survey the room, looking for the next conquest. "I can go shoppin' now, right?" she asks warily.

"Nasty smell?" Ashlyn asks, sniffing experimentally as she returns the hug. "I don't smell nothin'..." But before taking the captain's word as law, one is forced to wonder just how many times the woman's burned off every last one of her nose hairs in the course of her repairs. "Should be safe ta cook," she says as she lets her go. "I mean, it can only get so hot in here, an' I think it's reached that point already." She chuckles slightly. "So long as we don't get nothin' needs refrigeration or yer gonna use it soon as ya get it in, that's fine. Or you could drop a block a dry ice in there as a temporary fix."

Delilah looks suspiciously over at the fridge. "How long till ya think that's up an' runnin'?" She crosses over to the sink area and pulls out a dingy bucket, a washrag, and some cleaning supplies that look to be new. While filling the bucket with also dingy water, she comments over her shoulder, "Cause iffn' yer not thinkin' it'll be too long, now that we got the stove workin', I can run out an' grab the pots an' pans and whatnot ya guys said I could buy new - anythin' that's touchin' food, right? I think that's what Bish said. An' I'll grab some groceries while I'm out. Won't be able ta 'fridgerate leftovers iffn' it ain't done today, but I can always invite Capn' Grey over ta have some, that'd make 6 of us. An' menfolk can put away an' awful lot of food, so chances are we ain't gonna have nothin' leftover. Whatcha in the mood fer?"

Ashlyn scratches the back of her head as she considers the cooler. "I dunno," she admits. "I'd need ta take her apart b'fore I could say how broken she is. /Might/ be able ta get it workin' taday, but if not, like I said, throw a chunk a dry ice on the top shelf, it'll keep it plenty cool `till it /is/ repaired." She looks down at her stomach as it growls (seems she's still not feeding herself) and prods it as if she can coax it to give the answer for what it wants. "Erm... Whadda ya wanna cook?" she asks. "Because I'm good ta eat pretty much anything." She offers up a sheepish grin. "Have I ever not liked anythin' you've made?"

"Well, no," Delilah admits with a grin as she throws open the door of the fridge and makes a face at the dead foot smell coming from inside. Dunking the cleaning rag in the bucket now full of a bleach-like chemical and water, she begins the scrub the inside vigorously. "But that don't mean ya don't get cravin's sometimes, er that I ain't takin' special requests. Everyone always tells me ta make whatever...but I like makin' things people ask fer specificlike, so's I can be sure I'm makin' somethin' they wanted." She coughs as she leans farther into the fridge, breathing in more chemical+decaying mushroom smell. "Got any idea what my budget is like fer the shoppin'?"

"Well, lemme think..." Ashlyn says as she leans back against the island counter. "Watermelon? It's about the season, ain't it? An' lemonade. Strawberry lemonade." She grins and wipes her hands on her shorts. "I know it ain't a meal, but it's what I always used ta eat when it was hot back on the ranch. I get the cooler workin' we could even freeze the watermelon, too. My mom used ta do that."

Looking extremely relieved at the suggestion, giggles and comments, "Yeah, we loved watermelons too. An' I love strawberries somethin' fierce. They're my favorite food, actually. Alright, here's what I'll do. I'll make the lemonade, an' we'll have watermelons an' ice cream fer dessert. An' I can get some chicken an' soak it in sauce today, an' we'll grill it outside tonight so's the ship don't get worse an' hot. Maybe salad, too. Hmm. I oughta check the markets here, iffn' this stuff ain't grown local, it might be too pricey." She gets that faraway look in her eye that appears when she plans a menu, or her dream kitchen. "Yeah, strawberry salad," she murmurs, scrubbing the fridge without really watching what she's doing. "Need ta find a date anyways..."

Ashlyn grins at Delilah. "Date, huh?" she asks, folding her arms across her middle as she watches Delilah work. Making a mess is more her forte, not so much cleaning it up. "You got some bloke in mind?"

All wide-eyed innocence once more. "N-no!" Delilah stammers, looking around nervously. "I jus' thought...y'know, with yer weddin' comin' up an' all...it'd be awful lonely not ta have a date ta go to it with." She wrings out the rag of dirtiness and dunks it once more in the bucket. "Ain't been interested in anybody since...well. Y'know. Thought I maybe oughta try lookin' 'steada hidin' out in the ship, or the motel room, ya know? My Pa's gettin' awful twitchy 'bout grandkids." She grins and scrubscrubs more.

"Well, hidin' won't get ya no where," Ashlyn agrees with a nod. "But you look too hard, yer apt ta miss what it is ya really want." She crosses over to the sink and turns it on. The water at least runs clear now. Scrubbing the unidentifiable muck accumulated in the now refurbished stove from her hands, she looks over her shoulder at Delilah. "I didn't mean anythin', just sounded like you was lookin' fer a date fer dinner tanight, not my weddin'."

The galley of the Compass is not so much in shambles as it might be, but it's certainly not the Theory. The counters are old and worn, and the saving grace of the slowly disintegrating couches in the lounge is that they're more or less comfy when covered in a protective layer of plastic. Ashlyn leans against the island counter beside the stove, and Delilah scrubs out the refridgerator. The life-support and the attatched temperature control seem to be offline, otherwise the later would certainly be engaged. The spring sun beating on the ship has left the climate inside none-too comfortable, but the skylight waiting for a replacement, and the rather large piece of hull sheared away opening to the Boros junkyards lets in enough air to keep it from being stagnant as well as hot.

Delilah turns beet red and keeps her eyes on the fridge, clearing a small patch of white amongst the filth. Her cutoff jeans and purple t-shirt are quickly getting disgusting. "I ain't really the type ta jus' run out an' snag somebody fer a dinner date, y'know. I ain't lookin' fer someone ta take me out on Friday nights an' not see again. I want somebody I ain't gonna regret takin' ta yer weddin' a few months on down the line. I don't know what kinda men they get here on this rock, but I figure they gotta be better than the kinda men what ain't here on this empty ship, y'know?" She straighens up and wipes her hands on her jeans. "Ya still plannin' on havin' it on Paquin, right?"

Ashlyn looks around the ship for a moment. "Paquin. Newhall. Here," she says. "I don't s'pose it terribly matters. But I think I still like the idea of Newhall." She shrugs a little with an easy smile. "I do like the beach." She reaches out and pushes the microwave door shut. It stays where it is for a few moments before slowly opening again. Ashlyn frowns softly to herself and steps up to it, pulling a screw driver out of her toolbelt. "Don't look at it like a race ta get a date ta my weddin'. Then ya might very well regret it. `Side's, weddin' ain't /that/ far off."

The clomping of boots announce the arrival of Cid as he appears at the aft hall entryway. Stopping there, he wipes his forehead with a bare arm. His brown T-shirt is covered in dirt and grime, and his face isn't much better. "Just about done with the charger unit to the generator." He says to Ash. Glancing around he asks, "We got any bottles a water left?"

Delilah makes a 'wow I'm dumb' face for a moment and nearly smacks her forehead, though she thinks better of this when she remembers how filthy her hand is. "That's right, Newhall. I dunno why I was thinkin' Paquin. I like Newhall, too. Plus, all the food I got planned is all beachy." Because obviously, the food plan matching the atmosphere is what one plans a wedding location around. As she watches Ash fiddle with the microwave with a wry smile, she mumbles, "I ain't gonna race, I promise. I'll take m'time. I was jus' thinkin' that I oughtta start lookin', is all, an' what better place than a market, ya know?" She snickers and looks to where Cid has just walked in to flash him a grin. "I dunno, but this time tomorrow they jus' might be cold bottles a'water, think 'bout that!"

"I'll have ta get somethin' round here workin' ta take advantage a that," Ashlyn says to Cid as she pops the door off the microwave and sets it asside, digging her screwdriver into the latching mechanism. "Should have the refridgerator up in the next few days, an' the life-support... well, soon as humanly possible. I'm gettin' kinda sick a this heat. But yeah, we got a lot a bottles a water still. Long as ya don't mind that they're slightly cool in comparison ta the weather at best." She hooks a thumb toward one of the cabinets.

Cid nods to Ash, walking to the cabinet indicated. "What ya lookin' for, Del?" he says to the culinary artiste. "Weddin' stuff for Ash? Is that happenin' soon?" Opening the cabinet he grabs a bottle, then turns around. "Anyone want a bottle?"

Delilah colors when Cid asks what she's looking for, and seems to debate. Lie? Tell the truth? Lying is against Delilah's beliefs! But telling the truth means great embarrassment! "I'm...jus' thinkin' 'bout who ta invite with me," she admits. Close enough to the truth so she won't burn in hell, but far away enough so that he won't think she's going speed dating. "An' I don't think Ash picked a date yet. 'Less I'm wrong. Am I wrong, Ash? Have ya picked a date? That reminds me, I need ta take Bish out shoppin' an' whatnot." Whew, focus off her.

Ashlyn shoves whatever component was out of whack back into place. It settles with a click as she works the screw drive around inside the mechanism. "Date? I was thinkin' I was gonna take Bish-Oh! /Date/." She sets the tool asside and picks up the door again, pressing it back into place and holding it as she reaches for the screws to secure it. "Naw, still just summer. An' no thanks, Torres. I got enough clutter ta keep track a without wonderin' where my water went." She holds one the the screws between her teeth with a grin as she replaces the first.

No one taking up Cid on his offer, he twists the bottle cap open, then has a long drink, depleting the bottle by a third in one fell swoop. Cid looks at Del then, wheels turning inside his head. He has another drink of water, leaning back against the counter.

"So, we were thinkin' 'bout eatin' grilled chicken an' salad an' strawberry lemonade an' watermelon tonight fer dinner," Delilah calls to Torres from where she's returning to scrubbing more of the fridge back to white. "All that sound good ta ya? An' any chance I could get ya ta take a break from the engine stuff ta carry it all back fer me when I'm done?" She winks at him from across the room. "An' are ya havin' any food cravin's lately?"

"You fergot the icecream," Ashlyn says with a slight smile as she replaces the last screw. "Ya can't get me lookin' all forward ta it, then ferget about it." She opens nad closes the microwave door a few times. "That's better." She leans back against the counter again with a sigh, and wipes the sweat off her forehead.

Cid nods distractedly to Del,leaning back against the counter with a bottle of water. "Sure, just holler when ya need me." He pauses, tapping the bottle mouth against his lips, then stops. "You know, Del, I could WAVE Deco if ya needed someone ta come with at Ash's wedding. I think he'd really enjoy it. He likes that stuff." His eyes dart to Ashlyn in surprise. "Ice cream? We got ice cream?"

Grinning, Delilah snickers and makes a fake pouty face at Ashlyn. "Aww, poor Ash, are you cravin' ice cream after all this hot heat? I'll have ta make sure an' write it big an' bold on m'list, then." She'd probably say more, but then Miya suggests she take Deco to the wedding, and she turns much more red than before. "I...uhh...Deco?" she blurts out, looking frantically at Ash. "Uhh...me an' Deco? Go ta the weddin' tagether?" As she fumbles for the right words to say, her eyes widen and she jawdrops at Torres. "Ya really think I ain't gonna be able ta find someone?" she asks in a tiny, hurting, worried voice.

"My stomach's been growling since I woke up," Ashlyn says, using the screwdriver to clean the junk out from under her nails with a lopsided smile. "I'm cravin' `bout anything, but cold would certainly be better. An' more reason if I needed it ta fix the fridge." She leans heavily against the counter and lets herself slide down to the floor.

Cid looks at Del, puzzled, leaning back against the counter with a water bottle in hand. "What? I was just suggestin' is all. You two would probly have a lotta fun. He's good like that. Loves parties an' stuff." A last tentative glance at Del, then the gunhand says to Ash, "I got some chips in the top cabinet. You want any, have at it."

Delilah mumbles something about men, and dates, and weddings, but really, it's too low to hear coherently. "I guess I'll let ya know, Miya," she says, "But I'd rather try m'luck first, ya know. See iffn' I can't get somebody fer a real date. Although I'm sure Deco is invited anyways?" She looks over at Ashlyn for confirmation. "I'm assumin' so, anyways. We gotta sit down soon an' figure out exactly whose gonna be there, so's I can let my Pa know the numbers fer the food. I already talked ta him 'bout it an' he's plannin' ta come, we jus' gotta work out the menu an' the headcount an' he's all set." She makes a face when Miya mentions chips, but doesn't comment. "Wonder how much clothes I gotta wear to the market ta be considered 'decent'," she muses.

From where such messages would emit, a voice can be heard. "Sujiko Tokari to..." there's a pause. "Who'm I callin' anyway? Can't rightly call ya' the Theory no more..." there's another pause. "Ash? 'lilah? Y'all 'round? Got m'self a mighty need fer a place t' be, if'n ya' don't mind takin' me in a bit. I'm outside."

Ashlyn looks up at the indicated cabinet, but doesn't immediatly move toward the snack food. Her first glance is directed towrad the refridgerator, obviously debating which option is more important. But in the end, the matter is decided by a loud rumble from her stomach as she heads over to the cabinets. "Thanks, Torres. Apt ta not even be able ta hear myself think o'er the growling pretty soon," she says with a grin as she snags the chips, checking her hands for grease (the bad kind) before grabbing a handful. "Deco's invited," she assures Delilah, before looking her up and down with a somewhat confused expression. "What's wrong with what yer wearin'?" she asks, sounding generally confused as she pops a chip into her mouth. At the sound of Sujiko's voice eminating over the speaker, Ashlyn very narrowly manages not to drop the bag, depositing it on the counter as she bolts over to the hole in the hull. "Ghuh-ghuh!" she yells, waving her arm and beaming. "We're up here!"

Cid shrugs to Del. "Look fine ta me, too" He has a last drink of water, finishing it. Watching Ash eat away, Cid tosses the empty bottle in a waste bag by the counter. Pushing off the counter, he's headed to the aft hall when the comm blares, and Ash goes running to the gap in the hull. Looking back at Del, he says, "Who was that again?"

Delilah blinks down at her filthy purple shirt and her way short cutoff jean shorts, and swallows hard. "Go ta the market in this, Ash? I might as well paint the word Hooker on my - " She stops dead when she hears the voice, and squeals as she flings the bucket and rag into the sink, sending dirty water everywhere. "Suji, that was Capn' Suji!" she yells at Torres, flailrunning out of the room to get to the outside of the ship and jump onto the new arrival. "He's here, he's here!"

Poor Sujiko nearly soils himself when he looks up and sees Ashlyn looking down at him... through a large hole! "What th' gorram hell happened up there?!" he exclaims. "Looks like someone gone'n take a bite outta' 'er!" Hearing the screams of delight, his face falls a moment as things dawn on him: The ship is filthy, he's dressed nice, and there are surely flying hug tackles in his immediate future. "I'll uh..." he pauses, glancing toward the presumably open hatchway. "I'll let m'self in."

Ashlyn grins. "Just some corrosion," Ashlyn calls down. "Got a replacement for the plate an' the insulation already." She points to what looks to indeed be a replacement piece of hull sitting beside a nearby junk pile. "But it's too hot in here ta convince me ta get that welded on!" she adds with a grin. "I'll be right down!" She ducks back inside the galley and makes her way hurriedly down to the cargo bay after Delilah, looking back at Torres with a grin.

Cid wanders over to the hole in the hull, intent on seeing the previous captain once again. "Saw him once," he says to himself. "Huh."

Delilah emerges from the hatch and barring Suji secretly knowing Force magic, he's jumphugattacked by a very dusty, dirty, scantily clad Delilah. "I missed ya!" she manages out while wrapping her arms around his neck. "Are ya stayin' fer good or at least a long long time, say yes say yes say yes!"

Sujiko glances over toward the pile Ash gestured to, and then back up to the hole and offering Cid a wave before making his way toward the hatchway. Sure enough, out comes Delilah, and quite expectedly, Sujiko is powerless to do anything but stand and be messified. "Heya 'lilah," he grunts, squirming a little bit. "Uh, prob'ly lookin' that way. Might be that we oughta' talk 'bout all that inside though." He sneaks a glance around and apparently finds nothing of particular interest.

Ashlyn is only a few steps behind Delilah, and just as nearly airborn. In a matter of moments Sujiko will have both women attatched to him as Ashlyn, too, seems to have no respect for his continues cleanliness. "I ain't seen you in /ages/!" she cries happily. "Yer welcome as long as ya want, you know that!" But her smile falters slightly as what he says sinks in a little. "Yeah, come in. Ain't terrible ready fer guests, but our home's yers. Is somethin' up?"

Cid waves back at Sujiko, then makes his way into the aft hall to finish the charger unit. Might as well leave 'em be, get all caught up an' such. He chuckles to himself, then disappears past the hatch.

Delilah is as oblivious as usual. "Oh, ya came jus' in time, I'm gonna go ta the market an' get stuff ta cook so we ain't gotta eat horrible dock food, cuz Ash jus' got the stove workin' an' then she's gonna fix the fridge an' OH, now that yer here it'll go even faster!" She slides off Suji to make room for Ashlyn to snuggle, but continues just as excitedly. "An' I get ta buy all new pots an' pans an' dishes an' /everythin'/!" She beams and just watches them hug, practically bouncing from foot to foot.

Sujiko, though bothered by something, can't help but laugh at Delilah's exuberance. "Yeah, I missed you folks," he says, pointing toward the hatchway. "Got some stuff I oughta' let you guys know 'bout first though." He glances down at himself and tries to brush himself off a little, but alas, his clothes will need a washing. "Been busy then have ya'?" he asks as he starts toward the hatchway.

"Ain't we always?" Ashlyn asks, letting go. She laughs apologetically when she realises that through a joint effort with Delilah, Sujiko's now as filthy as they are. "Sorry, Suji," she says, falling in beside him as they head toward the hatchway. "You got bags or anythin'?" she asks, lifting one hand to shade herself against the sun before the interior of the ship takes the job over for her.

Delilah frowns as she follows them in, asking quietly, "Somethin' wrong, Suji? We ain't got much in there but bottles a water an' a bag a chips, but iffn' ya don't mind tellin' us yer story, I'd rather hear it than wait fer dinner." She fiddles with a hair band on her wrist as they walk, and begins tying her hair up off her sweaty neck and out of her face. "Torres is in there too, somewheres, but I don't think y'all really got ta know one 'nother," she remarks.

"I swear to everything, if you people ever send me out for food again, you're all gettin' the same damn thing. Moldy bread and rain water." The voice speaks from somewhere near the entrance of the ship and is easily identified as lush extraordinaire, Bishop.

As they make their way through the cargo bay, Sujiko glances again over his shoulder. Apparently satisfied with what he sees - or rather, doesn't see - he explains. "Welp. Got m'self a bit o' a pickle." Hearing Bishop's voice, he can't help but smirk. "Put'cher pants on Bish, ya' got a guest!" he hollers, of course referring to himself.

The war between being upset over Sujiko's prediciment and being overjoyed that both Bishop and Sujiko are in her general vicinity momentarily comes to a draw in Ashlyn's head. There is a moment of totally blank noncomprehension, which just as quickly gives way to a wide smile at Bishop's arrival. "Jason! What did you pick up?" she calls, turning to face his voice and bouncing on her toes. "Suji's here!" She turns halfway back to Sujiko and says somewhat more quietly and less happily, "How bad is this 'pickle'?"

Of course, all points seems to be converging in the cargo bay, or at least one more that is. Lucinda appears on the catwalks above, seeming to come from the main corridor that leads to the guest bunks and of course, the medbay. Her hands rest on the railing as she leans over it to peer down at the cause of the commotion. "Sujiko." She says moreso to herself in confirmation than any way of formal greeting. At least she's smiling.

Delilah is in complete despair at Bishop's words. "He got food?" she asks mournfully. "Nobody told me he went ta get food! But...but...the watermelons. An' the salad." Her voice lowers to a teeny, tiny pout of a level. "An' the strawberries...An' the men. Now there ain't gonna be no men. No flirtin' an' no men." She trails off and waves woefully to Lucinda. "Hey, Lu," she calls dejectedly. "Hope yer hungry. Real hungry. Like, starvin' hungry. Gosh darnit. I was really lookin' forward to them. It. The food. Not the men."

"Just sandwiches." Bishop says as he emerges with a brown sack. "And not much of them either" He doesn't mention why though there is a slightly playful glint in his eyes. Hearing Suji's voice, and finally emerging so he can see him, Bishop smirks. "You're dreaming if you think that A you warrant being company and B I'm putting pants on for you."

Sujiko grins a little at Delilah, but looks to Bishop. "Well, I'd say I 'preciate the gesture, but might be implyin' somethin' what ain't all the truth." He smirks, but looks back to Ash. "Le's get somethin'a eat first, yeah? Ain't no hurry or nothin'." Delilah gets an amused smirk, but says nothing.

Ashlyn isn't sure what to make of the sudden change in Delilah's mood, nor the bit about flirting with men. She just reaches out for Bishop's hand as he comes into view, with a soft smile. "Oh, yeah?" she asks him, lifting one eyebrow. "What? Were they out?" Despite Sujiko's assurances, she still gives him a slightly worried look. "Should we close the hatches an' all?" she asks him quietly.

Lucinda turns the practiced smile towards Delilah. Not having the heart to remind the dainty cook that she hardly ever eats, she puts as much belief behind, "Famished," as she can muster. "Watermelon sounds devine, but I would hate to make you leave the festivites to go shopping. Maybe we can both go in the morning, while everyone is still asleep." There, see? Who says Lu can't make an effort.

Delilah sighs and slumps against the wall. "Yeah, I guess sandwiches wouldn't be too bad," she grumbles. She starts to say more, but then Lucinda offers, and she just stares. "You wanna go with me, Lu?" she asks, amazement in her voice. "I, uh...yeah. I'd like that. Although we can jus' have a late dinner, an' I'm thinkin' 'bout headin' to the market after we visit with Suji. I'd love fer ya ta come, though. Ya wanna look fer a date with me?" She beams and winks. "So, what's goin' on, Suji?" she asks in his direction, crossing her arms in front of her. "It's so hard not ta call ya Capn'," she admits.

"Somethin' like that." Bishop says to Ashlyn, giving her hand a squeeze before setting the bag down and glancin' around. "What's with all the expressions and faces from y'all?"

Sujiko shifts a little bit where he stands. "Welp, seems there's some folks what don't much like the work I been doin'," he says. "'fact, might be that there's some folks after me fer what I found outta' some more secret like databases." He sighs and shakes his head. "Ain't no matter that they /hired/ me t' do that, but I seen what they's hidin' an' they ain't took so kindly to it."

Ashlyn squeezes Bishop's hand gently as she takes over the carying of the bag. "Shall we head up ta the Commons, then?" she asks the general assembled, gesturing up in it's direction. She gives a suspicious look at the main hatch, but just shakes her head and sighs. "Until the climate control's workin' I'd rather leave open ever door that can be open. But, Suji, when you say 'after' you..?" she asks. "I mean is it the bad kind a 'after' like they wanna steal yer PDA, or the /really/ bad kind a 'after'?"

And then Del had to go and wink, an expression that never fails to bring a blush to Lucinda's cheeks. "I'm in the market for watermelons only." She says matter of factly as she heads for the staircase. Hand skimming along the railing, she takes the stairs one at a time and with rhythmic footfalls. Lu's the mature non-bouncy one, afterall. "After reviewing the statistics, I've come to the realization that no one ever seems to return to the ship after a long absence with /good/ news." Oh damn. Now people are headed in her direction. Back up she goes.

Delilah listens to Suji speak, chewing her bottom lip as she does so. She sighs at Lu and nods. "Well, watermelons it is, then. Ya can be my wingman. I think that's what it's called. Ain't that what ya call somebody what comes with ya ta scope out dates?" She snickers a bit and gets ready to follow everyone upstairs. "I feel like I sound boy crazy," she remarks.

"Trouble." Bishop says looking at Suji and sighs softly before nodding his head. Leaning over he gives Ashlyn a kiss on the cheek. "I'll go unpack some of the... things I wasn't wanting to unpack earlier."

Sujiko peers at Delilah curiously as he falls in step to walk up the stairs. "Date?" he asks. "Fer somethin' in particular, or jus' got ya' got that--" he pauses. "Oh. Right." He glances at Ash and Bishop. "Yes. Date. Folks get them, don't they." He doesn't say anything more on the topic, though, musing quietly to himself. "But yeah, trouble. Ain't the good kind, neither. The really bad kinda' 'after'. You know, the one we folks seem good at attractin'."

Ashlyn returns the kiss as Bishop excuses himself. "Hurry back, Boa Bei," she says with a soft smile, making her way toward the stairs and the common room beyond. "Nah, Delilah. Yer just the regular kind a crazy," she offers with a smile. "Suji, you should know, when we split from the Theory, most a the gunhands stayed there. Athene, Chade... Matty." She shakes her head minutely. "Torres is with us still, an' he's a damned fine gunslinger, but we ain't as defensable as we uesed ta be." She reaches the top of the stairs (Whoops! Watch out for the missing one!) and turns around to watch the others come up after. "Not that the offer doesn't still stand. Anythin', an' I mean /anythin'/ we can do, we will."

Lucinda moves out of the way to the let the others pass her, choosing instead to bring up the rear. Lu was always a follower, not a leader. Unless you're in her surgical room, of course. "I think you're safe here for the time being. Who would think to check in the junkyard." She means that lovingly of course. "Besides, you have me again to patch up the holes. That should be somewhat reassuring."

Sujiko nods. "I really 'preciate it. I jus' don't wanna be bringin' nothin' down on you guys, 'specially knowin' what ya' do day in an' out anyways." He shoves his hands in his pockets and glances briefly back to Lu with a nod. "Yeah, was kinda' my thinkin' too. Fancy 'ole businessfeller like m'self ain't got no business in a junkyard, right?" he says with an insincere grin.

"What we been doin' day in an' day out lately's been fix this ship up," Ashlyn says with a smile. "Don't worry none. Everythin's always worked out so far. That ain't gonna change now." She shrugs a little as she enters the commons. "Sorry bout the mess," she states. "I got new furnature on it's way, but they couches are comfy if ya don't mind they're covered in plastic." She sets the bag of sandwiches on the counter.

A very short time later, Bishop returns into the common area with the others, his hip no longer empty of a firearm as he smirks a bit. "Well.... ya'll ain't eatin' none?" He asks in general before going to sit down himself still watching Suji. "What'd you get into? Did you stiff a whore again?"

Sujiko snorts at Bish. "Naw, ain't like that," he says, looking around the common area. Eerie, a place that's built and shaped like home, but looks like it's just fallen from space. "Got m'self a contract fer some important type folks. Ya' know - the guys what's got money, an' think 'f they pay ya' a bunch o' money they'll got all their security issues all fixified with not more'n a nod at whatever I tell 'em." Clearly, his line of work makes him a bit cynical about what he does. "Anyways, so they pay me t' look at their systems, test 'em fer holes and the like, an' sure 'nuff I get in an' find m'self starin' at stuff I'd rathera' not known 'bout."

Ashlyn walks up behind where Bishop is sitting, setting her hands on his shoulders gently. "Stuff like what?" she asks Sujiko, for now forgoing the food despite having spent the whole day not eating.

Where others fail, Lu shall prevail. She takes up the slightly greasy back of suspect sandwiches and moves to find a flat and relatively clean surface to set it on. Finding no plates, she opts for folded up paper towels as she sets about making sure the others don't fall down from malnurishment. Even though its sort of Deli's gig, she has to keep busy. "I'm...not so sure I want to know the details."

"Eat." Bishop says softly towards Ashlyn patting her hand, "I know you've worked all day... which means you haven't stopped to feed since I wasn't around to make you." He looks at Suji and grins a bit. "And now..."

Sujiko sighs, leaning up against the counter. "Not sure I wanna' tell ya', neither," he says. "'fact, prob'ly the reason they's after me's they're afraid I'ma tell someone." He folds his arms and looks at the sandwiches briefly, but seems uninterested, or at least not hungry. "Well I reckon I don't gotta tell ya' who it were," he reasons, figuring he won't be able to get away with not telling them anything. He does, however, offer a querying glance to Lucinda in case she'd rather not hear it.

Ashlyn chuckles a little. "'Feed,'" she repeats with a laugh. "Fine. Alright. You people making me take care of myself." She grins as she moves to take one of the sandwhiches. "Thanks, Lu," she says when she sees the doctor placing them on paper towels. "Nah, Suji, we done this dance with the whole Ryans incident. You know if ya don't tell us, they'll just assume ya did, right?" She smiles as if this doesn't bother her at all as she leans up against the counter and takes a bite of sandwitch.

The sandwich Lu's alloted for herself is pulled toward her, and the doctor starts to systematically peel off the crusts. Her gaze flicks up to catch Suji's glance, to which she responds, "As long as its not disturbing photographs of child pornography or instructions on how to flay small puppies, I'll survive." She tells him.

"Ash is right, as usual." Bishop says with a nod of agreement. "It's either spill it so we know what's going on, or don't spill it and we get caught with our pants down humpin' against the pilot's controls again until we crash into Ezra." He pauses and shifts his eyes around suspiciously.

Sujiko shakes his head. "None o' that so far's I know," he says to Lu. "An' it ain't a lot. Hints that there's somethin' goin on what I don't know." He peers at Bish for a moment, but snorts again. "Yeah. I figured's much." He pushes off the counter and fetches himself a sandwich of his own, changing his mind about ignoring them. "All I seen was a wave in their archives. One o' the 'mportant folk sendin' somethin'a someone else 'bout havin' some poor sap's family secured where he can't get 'em 'till he does the job." He shrugs. "Dunno what the job is or nothin' more'n that, but sounds like kidnappin' an' extortion an' all that."

Ashlyn swallows her bite of sandwich and looks at Bishop. "Again?" Sometimes there's really not much one can say to something. But if she was going to inquire if that was a euphemism or a riotously hilarious story, she holds her tongue and listens to Sujiko. "So who was it you was workin' for?" she asks quietly.

When her sandwich has been decrustified, Lucinda takes great pains to half the breadie goodness diagnally by carefully ripping it asunder with her fingers. "I really must stop visualizing everything." She mumbles, likely about Bishop's comment more so than Sujiko's.

Bishop glances at Lucinda and smirks a bit towards her, "Stop actin' like it ain't something you ain't seen before." He states jokingly before glancing towards Ashlyn and shrugs his shoulders without speaking. "Well Suji, you know you're safe here with yer family."

Sujiko smiles at Bishop. "Thanks," he says, but he's already peering at Ash. With a sigh, and knowing already that he won't be able to dodge this, he answers: "AGI Galactic," he says. "Ain't heard of 'em 'til they contacted me, an' I still don't rightly know what they do, but they's figured I'm a thorn in their side, despite th' privacy contract I signed with 'em, like I do all m' clients."

Ashlyn takes another bite of her sandwich and crosses back to Bishop to pull up a chair beside him. "So, someone attacked you after the job was o'er?" she asks, setting the sandwich on it's towel in front of her.

Lucinda has now spliced her sandwich but doesn't seem inclined to take a bite. Pausing for a moment, she looks to the hallway then seems to get an idea. "I better see that Torres has his dinner too." She flashes a practiced smile towards the group. "If you'll excuse me?"

Sujiko nods to ASh. "Yeah, found me in there, an' 'fore I knew it they was arrestin' me at gunpoint," he says. "Managed a trick Hatch taught me a long ways back an' got away, but they locked down m' ship." He gestures to himself. "Ain't got but th' clothes I'm wearin'." He takes a bite of his sandwich and rubs the bridge of his nose. "Got plenty o' stories 'bout stupid stuff folks done, but ain't nothin' like this a'fore."

Ashlyn grins a little as Lucinda excuses herself, and stamps down a chuckle. Sujiko's words wipe any lingering amusement from her features however. "Jeeze, ghuh-ghuh," she says, falling silent for a moment. "You got a plan?" she asks finally. "Or is that something we're gonna have ta come up with?"

Sujiko nods. "Don't die comes t' mind," he says. "Other'n that..." he pauses. "Yeah, 's pretty much all I got." He takes another bite of his sandwich. It's almost gone, but he's not looking up to finishing it. "Think some rest'll do me good," he reasons. "Long day, ya' know?"

Ashlyn smiles a little. "New beds fer the passenger dorms just arrived a few days ago, so they're pretty livable now," she says. "Long as ya don't mind the heat, but we should be gettin' that seen ta sooner rather'n later." She sets her elbows on the table and shrugs a little. "Torres' been helpin' me repair. We'll be in the air in no time." That might be a little more reasuring if there wasn't a hole in the wall admittedly.

Sujiko does indeed glance at the wall. "Shortly," he repeats, amused. "Aye. Well, I'll be 'round, an'..." he pauses, glancing down at his attire which, despite being groped by two messy women who were oh so very glad to see him, doesn't look irreversably unpresentable. "Might pick up a change o' clothes somewhere nearby."

Ashlyn nods. "You don't think anyone followed you? Because I don't mind goin' out ta get what ya need," she offers. She takes another bite of her sandwhich. "Seems like a shoppin' trip with the ulterior motive a goin' ta hit on boys is bein' organised," she ads with a grin. She looks over at Bishop. "Not that I'd be engagin' in the ultirior motives, mind you," she clarifies.

Sujiko smirks, pushing off from the counter. "What'f I had ulterior motives o' my own?" he asks teasingly. Reaching out to ruffle Ash's hair, though, he makes his way aft toward the stairs that'll take him to the passenger bunks. "Thanks Ash," he says, before disappearing around the corner.

"Ak!" Ashlyn grunts as she's ruffled, reaching up to brush her hair out of her eyes. "Fine, be that way," she laughs as she ties it back with her bandana. "I'll see ya `round in any case!"

So, what details might ya add to my file, doc?

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:26:08 GMT

IC Time: March 25

The engine room of the Compass is a maze of highly organised chaos, the engine itself almost fully broken down and arranged carefully about the room Ashlyn's tool belt hangs from a protruding bit of machinery, and most of it's contents are fanned out around her all within easy reach as she seemingly goes over each component broken off the engine one at a time. A cardboard box behind her is slowly becoming soggy with the shed grease of it's contents. The hatch to the exterior of the firefly is open as life-support (and the climate control) seem to still be offline and the spring sun has turned the interior of the derelict ship into a somewhat painfull summer.

Stepping into the shadow of the Ship, Lucinda slips into the open hatch already dabbing at her forehead that's dappled with sweat. Of course, that's what you get when you were a long sleeved sweater even in warmer months. The tinkering in the engine room is what draws her ear, and the doctor moves in that general direction. Stopping in the opening of the hatch, her voice ventures further in, even if she physically won't. "Its like watching open heart surgery..."

"Only I can throw out anythin' that's buggy an' find a replacement in my own good time," Ashlyn says with a grin, not looking up from her work, which seems to be on a chunk of calcification that might possibly hide a space ship part within. "An' don't no one complain if I beat somethin' with a hammer if it just ain't fittin' right." A screwdriver in her hand digs up under the chalky mass and dislodges a hefty chunk of mineral deposits. "You still stayin' at the hotel, or you moved on board the ship yet?" she asks. Being as Ashlyn has spent the entirety of her time since boarding the ship either four inches from something she's repairing, sleeping, and (if she's lucky) being told to remember to eat, the general comings and goings of the crew are a total mystery to her.

Lucinda hitches a chin back the way she came, though knowing Ashlyn probably didn't see the gesture, she adds. "Still at the hotel. I'm a bit spoiled when it comes to my creature comforts. Like running water." The last is said lightheartedly, as she takes a half step into what can only be described as the seventh layer of hell. "I thought I'd stick around. Help you get the medical bay set up."

"We got runnin' water!" Ashlyn says excitedly. "The colorful kind, too!" She says this as if 'colorful' water is indeed a one up on the normal clear kind. "S'good fer cleanin' an' ain't nothin' real wrong with it. I mean ain't nothin' in it ya'd die from... I mean you could recover from it..." There's a pause as she dislodges another chunk of calcification. "We got bottled water," she amends. "So... How long you gonna travel with us?"

Well that question has Lucinda backing up that half-step she just took into the room. "Well...I..." She clears her throat in that nervous habit she has, like Ashlyn just asked her something ten times more daunting than 'how long are you staying'. "..I've spoken with Torres about it on several occasions. And I...well...the answer is I don't have an answer. I can't return to the clinic until I am able to handle the stresses that come along with it. And with Deco being absent, and you putting together a new ship from scratch.." She drifts off, as if unsure how to finish that sentence.

Ashlyn looks up from her work with a half smile, another large flake disengaging from the machinery in her hand, one of many bits of the engine laid out in a gridlike pattern around her, her tools nearby, and the hatch open to let out some of the swealtering air. She sets the piece asside and reaches up to tie a red bandana around her braided hair, low on her forehead to catch the sweat. "Just wanted ta know if you was layin' claim ta any one part a the ship on a perminent basis. Del's got the kitchen, me the engine room. Seems like we're divyin' her up. Guess it's kinda the only real way ta feel like ya got yer own space ship this small. Ya are welcome here, long as ya like. Always glad ta have ya aboard."

Lucinda chews on her bottom lip for a moment, as if trying to piece together the correct response. Finally her brain gives up and she just releases a small sigh. "I know." Is all she can manage. Lucinda's still lingering in the hatchway to the engine room, not meandering further in, yet not retreating further out either. She's just...lingering as if waiting for some great revealation or a bolt of lightening to strick her or what not.

And just like that Cid is there, off to one side and behind Lucinda. His eyes linger on the doctor's hair, smiling before he turns to Ashlyn saying, "Brought some bottled water, Cap'n. Hey maybe ya could teach me some a that engine stuff. Wouldn't hurt for one more ta be knowin' that stuff."

Ashlyn smiles agian as she picks up the machinery and digs at the calcification with a screwdriver once more. "So long as ya know," she offers. "I s'pect ta have this place a little more habitable soon." The gesture she directs in a general twirling upward motion of her finger might suggest she means the life-support. "Howdy, Torres," she syas as he appears. "Yeah, well, right now it's just cleanin'. Tryin' ta figgure out what's still good an' what needs ta be replaced, but so far it ain't much." She taps the screwdriver against the remains of the engine. "Even when ya don't treat `em right, fireflys is ferever." She gestures to a relatively open space across from the fan of machinery before her. "Most a the forward compression unit's calcified, but whole." She points at a matrix of white-coated parts and mechanisms.

Lucinda gives a nervous bit of a smile to Torres as she generally tries to get out of his way so he can enter. Sneaky bastard. Why is it she always ends up with sneaky b.. "Have you tried cola?" She suddenly interjects what she believes is friendly advice, blinking at the notion she actually has friendly advice and she actually imparts it.

Cid looks at Lucinda with a measure of bemusement before sliding his gaze back Ashlyn's way. "Well," Cid replies to Ashyln, "if ya want I can clean those parts off, leastways. Gotta start somewhere if I'm gonna learn." He shrugs. "Want I see 'bout takin' that compression unit apart?" Head jerking back at Lucinda, the gunhand grins and mutters, "Coke?"

Ashlyn looks down at the component in her hand, then up at Lucinda, then back down at the component. "Cola'd eat this off?" she asks, holding it up. "Ya ain't pullin' my leg are ya?" She begins tossing the part between her hands, obviously hoping that the cola theory is sound and she can stop digging at it with a chissel. "Well, it's mostly apart now. At least what I could pry off. If you can get it the rest a the way broke down, that'd be a help in seein' what's still good."

Lucinda hooks her thumbs together behind her back, "Cola, or more precisely, the mild acidic properties of cola, can deteriorate calcification. Much like it rots away at your teeth. If you bathe the parts in a bath of the liquid, it should strip the residue off rather efficiently. Mind you, it has to be cola and not the diet variety. But I won't bore you about the evils of artificially produced sweeteners." Wow, that was actually pretty short for one of Lu's educational lessons.

Cid brushes past Lucinda as he walks into the engine room, making sure that he does, indeed, make contact, however fleeting. Cola. "Lu, you ain't hardwired to the cortex, are ya?" His grin lingers when he nods to Ashlyn. "Alright, will get on it now. You don't mind I use some a your tools, Ash? Some folk get a might tetchy about them things."

Ashlyn looks between the parts in her hands and around her, and the calcified hunk of engine that she could not pry apart. The noise she makes very distinctly sounds like a stiffled giggle. "We should have lots a cola in the fridge." There's a pause. "I expect ta have the fridge workin' in a week, too." Why the soda is in the dead fridge is anyone's guess. "Nah, I don't mind. Tools is tools, an' I got at least four a each somewhere." She sets the piece asside and stands. "I have ta see this cola thing. I'll be right back." She looks at Cid and her head cants a little toward Lu as she passes her. Wait. Did she wink? No, Ashlyn wouldn't do something like that.

Well winks have always been one of those things that confuse the hell out of Lucinda. But instead of querying what its in regard to, she's more apt to say, "Ashlyn, you've developed a tick. Is it about time for a physical?" She asks the retreating woman before turning to Torres to eyeball him too. "Maybe that's the first order of business of the new medical bay. Redetailing personnel files." Physicals for everyone! Yay!

Cid doesn't really note Ashlyn leaving until Lucinda's remark, when I glances at the Captain's back as she heads down the hall. His eyes shift to Lucinda then, that grin returning before he starts working on taking apart the compression unit. "So," he starts with the doctor, "what details might ya add to my file, doc?" Mischievous eyes slide her way for a brief moment.

Lucinda keeps a wary distance from Torres, as if treating him like a rattlesnake that she's unsure of when he'll strike. "Nothing...medically warranted." She adds with her best approximation of a genuine smile. Her eyes drift back to the engine, better to focus on safer subjects. "It really is best if we can soak the parts in the cola instead of just pouring it on the various parts. I wonder if we have a vessel large enough."

"Hell," says Cid looking at Lucinda. "There's a lot a crates round here. It's the cola I'd be worried 'bout gettin' enough of." He sighs and stops what he doing, thinking. Rising up, he brushes his hands off his pants, then walks beside Lucinda on the way to the hall. "Think I'll go see about buyin' some more cola, cuz if I know Ash, it's she's gonna wanna try this. Meantime, you think 'bout what it is you might wanna add to that file ya got on me. An' you have any trouble, I'll be back to help." A pointed wry grin, then the gunhand is gone down the hall.

So, what's the diagnosis, Doc? Is my baby gonna make it?

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:03:37 GMT

IC Time: March 23

The afternoon sun beats down on the heaps of metal piled so high as to create valleys of the dirt tract below. A figure in a duster treads along the tract, his steps kicking up small clouds of dirt. Taking the curve to road, Cid slows down after he view of the 'Compass' is revealed past a mound of twisted metal parts. Scrutinizing it with knitted brow, he grunts to himself, then tightens his grip on the bags of food he carrying, and continues on to the ship. Nearing the firefly, Cid shouts to no one in particular, "Got lunch!"

Ashlyn is coated in grease and muck up to her elbows, lying on her back with a pen light between her teeth on the dirty floor of the galley of the decrepit firefly the crew has claimed as their own. Above her is the frame of what is most likely a gas stove, though it is in such a state of disrepair, it might be any large apliance to the untrained eye. Chunks and bits of machinery too rusted out to be of use lay about her, and her tool belt is nearly empty, it's contents on the floor beside her. Her braided hair is tied back at the nape of her neck and a red bandana pulls it away from her face. The skylight above has long since been removed in preperation for a more space-worthy replacement, as has a fairly significant hull plate, that, while not so good for space travel, does wonders for what would be an otherwise stuffy and swealtering ship. Ashlyn spits the light out of her mouth and scoots out from under the appliance at Cid's yell. "I'm up in the galley!" she yells back as she crawls to her feet and pokes her head out of the hole in the side of the ship to look out onto the scrap yard.

Delilah comes bounding in from elsewhere on the ship, her face the picture of pure joy. She's either been talking to herself or talking to Ash from across the way, because she's continuing a sentence as she gets nearer. "An' an' I can paint whatever I want on the walls, like strawberries all over. Oh, Ash, I can make it a strawberry kitchen. With stencils on the fridge an' we can get strawberry wallpaper or even more stencils ta do a strawberry conga line 'cross the room. Maybe some cherries, too. Oooh, I should make us cherry pie. Cherry strawberry pie." She stops for breath for a moment and peers at Ashlyn's work. "So, what's the diagnosis, Doc? Is my baby gonna make it?"

Cid catches sight of Ashlyn through the aperture way up yonder. "Be right there!" he shouts, then disappears through the open hatch to the hold.

"She's gonna make it," Ashlyn says. "So long as you can love her if she's Frankenstein's monster." She smirks a little at that. "I think I got a third of a useful stove there. Got a lot a work `fore I call it done. Gotta seal all the lines an' get workin' fail safes `case... Erm. Well, safe ta say, gas stoves not as... trustworthy as an electric one." She grins as she leans back from the hole in the side of the ship. She pulls a rag out of her pocket and wipes her hands as she listens to the ring of Cid's boots on the metal deck drawing closer.

Delilah nods to what Ashlyn says, but she's off in her own little world, staring at the stove. "Yeah. Those safe fails...awful useful. With the gas. An' the..." She trails off, hearing Torres' steps as well now. "Miya, is that you?" she calls, having missed his lunch call earlier during her babble. "Please tell me ya didn't get puppy meat. I don't think I can stand ta watch ya'll eat that."

Cid's plodding steps finally give way to the man himself as he pops through the doorway from the fore hall. He glances around briefly at what is supposed to be the Commons at some future. A bit of a disconnect, but the gunhand must trust in Ashlyn. Lifting the bags toward the two woman, he cracks a faint grin. "Course it's me. Who else would be wanderin' out here with bags of food?" Placing the bags on an overturned crate, he adds for Del's sake, "And no puppy's meat here. Fish an' chips. Leastways, they said it was fish-like. I think it's fishy anyhow."

"I'll take it if it's food-like," Ashlyn assures him with a grin. "There a resteraunt that close by?" she asks curiously. Having been burried in work for the past few days, it's little wonder she is unfamiliar with the surrounding aria, however. "Hey look!" She turns and hurries to the sink in the galley and turns the lever on one side. Water that's only slightly murky jets out into the basin. "I got the water workin'! ...Don't drink it," she adds sheepishly as she clears off a space on the island counter of her tools and machinery for the food to be deposited.

Delilah grins at Torres. "Well, I doubt they've found a way ta make puppy taste fish-like. I hope." A look of doubt crosses her face for a second, before she smiles once more. She peers at the water Ash runs and remarks, "What 'bout iffn' I boil it? Is it jus' dirty, or is it good ta use fer cleanin' an' the like?" A glance is given to the rest of the room before she adds, "Cuz I wanna clean everythin' afore I start plannin' my paintin'." Kicking a few random pieces of metal out of the way, she makes her way over to the bags Torres brought and peers in. "They give us stuff ta eat it with? Cuz I don't think we got plates an' forks, an' iffn' we do, I wouldn't let ya eat with 'em." She muses as she digs around in the bag, "I really gotta find somewheres ta WAVE my Pa soon."

"They're wrapped in paper, just take a bag," says Cid to Delilah, "Got fries too. Went to the bar down the ways, called 'scrapheap' or some such. I tried a piece. Tasted alright ta me." Looking at Ashlyn's progress with the galley sink, his eyes widen. "Now that's something. Alright, Cap'n.

Ashlyn looks up at Delilah with wide eyes. "That's right!" she says, digging into her pocket. "I told ya I'd pay fer some supplies fer the kitchen." She pulls out a ratty wallet from one pocket and thumbs through some paper bills in it before simply pulling out the contents. "Ain't enough fer everthin' I'm sure, but fer some posts an' plates I s'pose." She holds the money out to Delilah. She grins at Cid as she reaches out for one of the bags. "Sure does smell good," she says. "I ain't eaten in... `bout twelve hours now." She hooks a thumb toward the stove acusingly with a grin. "An' I s'pose the water's good fer cleanin', just not much else. Not yet. But the purifiers're workin' so the more we use it, the sooner it'll be good fer 'else.'"

Delilah takes the money with a grin, but somehow suppresses a new outpouring of planchatter. "Ain't it jus' best ta run it all the time, then? Till it's clean, I mean. I can go turn all the taps on an' run it till she's running without the muck, an' turn it off? Cuz the sooner we got useable water, sooner we can move in, ya know?" She grabs a bag and plops down on the floor, since her dirty jeans likely can't get worse. Rooting through the bag to come up with a fry, she pops it in her mouth and mumbles around it, "Motel ain't gettin' much more homey. Or less smelly. Or less noisy. I swear ta Heaven, the guy an' girl next ta me were hangin' pictures on the walls all night long, an' she musta been awful angry from the yellin' an' the like she was doin'. What in the world were they doin' hangin' stuff in a room that ain't theirs at 3 in the mornin', anyhow?" She innocently swallows her fry and roots some more, oblivious.

Pulling off the heavy duster, Cid tosses it over on the crate, then grabs a bag for his own. Finding a nice spot on the deck to sit down, he plops down then pulls out some of the 'fish' and takes a bite. As Delilah relates his story about the neighbors, his eyes dart to Ashlyn, a brow arching as he does. Time to see about the fries. Makes it easier to hide the grin.

Ashlyn pops a fry in her mouth and looks as if she's trying to figure out how to answer Delilah. "Some people're wierd." Well, that's truth at least. Maybe just not relevent. "Might as well turn `em all on. That way we'd know if there was a leak anywhere. But she's livable now, if ya don't mind bottled water, cold showers, an' no temperature control." Since Ash herself has been off the ship only as long as has been nesissary, the current state is probably plenty habitable by her standards. "New bedstuff should be here in a day'r two, even." It having indeed been twelve hours since last she'd bothered to eat, her attention shifts pretty readily to her bag of greasy food once she's done speaking.

Delilah nods at Ashlyn's comment about weird people. Truer words have never been spoken. "Turn 'em all on?" she asks, quickly setting her food aside while giving Torres a strange look as he grins at his fries. "I'll go do that now, then, while we eat. I'll be back in a second!" She flounces off and heads in the direction of the bunks, shuffling her feet on the dirty floor.

Please, let's jus' hurry afore Miya makes me wear his pants, too

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:58:10 GMT

===[The Barrens]=====================================[Assam City - Boros]=====

What begins as discernable roads leading into the Barrens eventually fades
into dirt and gravel paths. Strewn with remnants of broken pavement and old,
ill-used bits of discarded debris, the roads are hedged about by mounds of
junk and salvage. The piles in most lots are the size of city blocks, and
several stories high in some cases, each comprised of slowly oxidising refuse
or cast-away bits of civilization.

The farther one travels into the depths of the junkyards, the less organized
the paths become. Eventually devolving into a winding and chaotic maze, it
creeps ever outward from the city proper in a perplexing growth of inorganic
matter.

==============================================================================

Ashlyn pushes back the brim of her dusty cowboy hat as she scans the scrap heaps with a bemused expression. A hand falls into one of the over burdened pockets of her tan shorts and draws out a folded bit of paper that might be a map through the laberenth of trash before her. She turns it over a few times, not seeming to be able to correlate which direction pertains to which side of the map and stuffs it back into her pocket with a sigh. "We'll just consider this an adventure," she says with a smirk. The tool belt that has been absent for so many months hangs once again about her waist, and a pair of heavy gloves are hanging out of one pocket.

The eyebrow peeks up over the rim of the glasses, the lenses of which are shaded and tinted to block out the sun. The man is only a pace or two behind Ashlyn, a scruff of beard on his cheeks and jaw. "An adventure." His tone quips softly shaking his head some as Bishop directs that quirked eyebrow directly towards Ashlyn with a gaze now. "Whenever we go on Adventures, someone usually ends up shot, injured, or.. well..." He trails off then and shakes his head again. "Right. An adventure." Hands slip into his many pocketed khaki pants after shrugging the casual shirt on his shoulders some to a better resting position.

Cid isn't far behind, the ever present duster keeping most of the sun off the gunhand, though he's donning a brown T-shirt over the more common blue turtleneck. He expels a breath after making a small mound of metallic junk. "We shoulda brought water then," he calls out to Ashlyn as he wipes his forehead.

Bishop grunts a bit towards Ashlyn. "Not all of them go awry to the same magnitude as others you mean." The words and tone aren't angry or bitter, if anything they're playfully teasing. He starts moving over trash piles as well glancing back towards Cid. "Water? Who needs water when we have a nearly limitless supply of hot metal, old oil, and maybe some booze?"

Delilah follows Miya, hatless and glassesless and just being assaulted by the sun in general. The sleeveless summer dress she's wearing isn't helping, either, and judging by the freckles on her shoulders, she's going to resemble a leopard by the end of the day. Squinting in Bishop's way when he speaks, she mumbles, "Can't cook with any a that. 'Cept booze. An' I don't think I can cook with yer kinda booze."

Ashlyn gives an appraising look around the Barrens as she settles her hat back in place to ward off the spring sun. "Not all my plans go awry," she says with a smile. "Ever now an' then we escape unscathed, don't we?" Her eyes cast up to one of the towering mounds of scrap. "Though I would watch out fer trashalanches." She seems to pick a direction at random and begins moving further into the scrapyard. "Once we find it, we'll be outta the sun at least," she calls back to Torres. She looks back at the heaps of trash. "Can't be that hard ta miss a whole space ship, even in all this." She looks back at Delilah, and holds out her hat to the other woman. After all, what are a few more freckles and a deeper tan to Ashlyn? "I doubt the old crew left any booze on the ship," she chuckles.

It's when Bishop actually says something that makes sense that Cid will usually remark on Ashlyn's couchpotato/lover. This is more the norm and gets pushed out with the next dry hot gust of wind. Cid turns and stares at Delilah, then takes off his duster, walks over to her and drapes the heavy coat over her shoulders, saying, "You're gonna roast out her, Del. Take that for now. I'm fine."

Bishop glances back at Delilah when everyone else does and pause. "Delilah, are you serious?" He asks it with a smirk. "I told you to make sure to bring an umbrella or something..." There's a soft sigh from the man's lips before he looks to Ashlyn. "If you get sunburned, and are expecting me to put aloe on you, then I'm expectin' ... well we'll discuss terms later. So, I'm just curious, did they describe the ship at all in the junkyard?"

Delilah graciously accepts Ashlyn's hat, and plops it on her head. Before she can make some remark about looking like Scarlet O'Hara, however, Miya puts his duster around her and all time seems to stop. His duster. James' duster. Her wide eyes blink for just a moment, and her mouth moves with no sound coming out. She looks sheepishly back at Bishop, but still doesn't say a word. There aren't any tears, though, which is a bonus. For now, she resigns herself to staring at her shoes, and periodically shooting glances at metal piles, as though the ship could jump out and bite her on her ass.

Ashlyn smirks at Bishop. "I intend ta find this ship long b'fore I burn," she informs him as her ratty hat of unidentifiable origin relocates. "But we can address the nature a the application a lubricants ta my personal self when we get ta that bridge," she agrees. She draws out the map again, something scrawled in a spidery hand on a scrap. A few things that might be depictions of landmarks are the best clue as to where they are or might be, and the large star most likely indicates the location of the ship. "One ship, firefly class, whole... or equivalent thereof." She turns to peer around the corner of the junk heap as they pass it. If she's noticed or understands Delilah's predicament, she doesn't comment on it.

Cid is too tired and irritable to notice Delilah's mood ripple (yeah, she mood ripples, for real). Walking alongside the rest, he spends most of his time trying to stay standing amid all the metal precariously stacked one atop the other. "Ash?" he says finally. "This is Boros. Ships are piled here liked blocks in a kid's toy chest. I just hope you know where you're goin'.." then mutters under his breath, "Cuz I sure as humpin' hell don't."

Bishop pulls up for a moment from walking and watches Ash, pointing at her as he speaks towards the others. "She has a sixth sense for ships and machinery. They speak to her. What she's doing now, is listening. You see the way her head is tilted to the side and her ass is wiggling a little bit? That means she's listening for the ship."

Delilah arches an eyebrow as she stares at the nearest pile of scrap, before glancing quickly at Ashlyn's butt for an inspection. "/Did/ they tell ya where ta head, Ash?" she asks, shifting uncomfortably under the duster. "I mean, just a general direction?" It's likely that the duster situation has her too distracted to really take note of Bishop making vague sexual remarks, otherwise she'd probably be frowning in a disapproving way.

Ashlyn is not wiggling! But at Bishop's words she does once for effect before picking a direction that once again looks as if the choice was entirely random. "The ship says she's this way!" she yells excitedly, leaping over a bit of machinery jutting out of the trash heap. Grace, thy name is... not Ashlyn. Her boot hooks on something half buried in the dirt. I believe the appropriate expression for what follows is 'ass-over-teakettle.' Ashlyn actually manages to roll over once before coming to a stop in the dirt lying on her back. She squints up at the mass of wreckage she finds herself facing (upsidedown) as she digs into her pocket without getting up. "Direction is a relative term," she tells Delilah as she draws out the map again. Rolling to her feet, coated in dust she points to the large chunk of metal with what looks like a sun-bleached painted happy face, probably an old delivery truck of some kind. "You think that's s'post ta be this?" her other hand taps the characturature of a happy face on the map.

Cid looks at Bishop as if to say, 'okay, if you weren't her fiance that would be over the line'. Still, the gunhand glimpses to see if Ashlyn's ass does, in fact, wiggle ... Yes! And, then, ow! He snorts and stops, eyes scanning the mounds of metal, likely thinking what a nightmare this would be in a gunfight.

Bishop pauses as well and then winces rather adamantly when Ashlyn tumbles over. "You ok?" He asks, his voice concerned and trying to emphasize that rather than the slightly amused tilt it has. He moves along, kicking up some dust as he does to get to Ash's side to help her up.

"Ash!" Delilah yells, silent moping be damned. She flailruns over to her, abandoning the sun hat and the duster in the process. "Are ya okay? Did ya break anythin', bruise anythin'?" She looks frantically around for someone, anyone with medical expertise, to no avail. By the time she turns back, Ashlyn is pointing to a happy face, which clearly confuses Dela. "Yer alright, then?"

Ashlyn brushes off some of the dust as Bishop helps her up, clearly unharmed. "I'm fine," she says, holding out the scribbled map at arms' length, turning slightly to line up the happy faces. "Well, if that is what this is... That means the ship is..." She looks off to the right. "Left around that block, straight, then right again, an' it's right there." She beams widely as she says it.

Okay, now it's Delilah's turn for Cid's stare before he turns to go retrieve the hat and duster both. Picking the two articles off the ground, he walks back to Delilah. "Least wear the hat, Del. You got no qualities for absorbin' large amounts of UV. Duster'd be good too, but I know how heavy it is."

Delilah sighs and holds out her hand. "Ain't the hat I mind so much," she mumbles. Plopping it on, she turns back around to Ash. "Please, let's jus' hurry afore Miya makes me wear his pants, too," she pleads. "Honestly, it ain't that big a deal. I mean, I know I lost my tan an' freckles now, but I used ta spend lots a time in the sun on Lilac. I'm a pale redhead, but sun won't kill me.Yeesh."

"The tan ain't the problem Lilah, it's the burn, and the 'ow my back' we be hearin'." Bishop says with a chuckle before looking to Ashlyn and her map, nodding his head. "Then lead the way oh fearless wanderer of the Trash."

Ashlyn is already gone, skidding along the dirt paths between the junk heaps with a grin, the heavy treds of her boots faving her from further meetings with the dusty ground more than once. "I been hurryin' Del!" she calls back. "Ain't my fault the directions were just good enough ta get lost on!" She grins as she says it, stopping short as she rounds the last corner. "...Woah."

Cid shrugs at Del. "Suit yourself," he says to her, then puts the duster back on. He resumes walking, following behind Ashlyn a ways, almost beside Bishop now. Brows arch at Ashlyn's exclamation. "We find it finally?" Cid says before he rounds the corner.

"Ow my back?" Delilah asks, very confused. "But I'm wearin' a dress on my back. My back ain't exposed, Bish." She follows Ash as she goes and stops when she does. "Whoa? What's whoa, do ya see it?" She peers along with the Captain, searching for the source of the whoa.

Bishop is only a few paces behind when he hears the whoa. "That better be a 'I found the new old ship' whoa... because if it's 'I found another dead body' whoa... I'm going to be uspet."

The firefly (or equivalent thereof as seemed to be part of the deal) sits in a large cleared space amidst the junk heaps. Gouges in the dirt suggest that it's location in the relative scheme of things is quite a recent development. One thing is certainly readily obvious: this is no Theory. Pitted, gashed, and in more than one place seemingly scorched, this retired bird has certainly seen the rough end of life before being settled here to die quietly in obscuity amidst the trash and broken hulls.

If the ship's state of repair might be a deterrent for most, it certainly isn't to Ashlyn, who's gazing at the ship in mute, almost worshipful, awe. "She's beautiful," she states to anyone catching up to her.

When Cid finally rounds that corner, and his eyes fall on the derelict firefly, he actually looks around it just to make sure this is the one, Yup, everything else is pieces. Must be it. He's about to speak to Ashlyn when he catches that look in her eyes. His lips press together, and he turns to Bishop and Del, murmuring, "A lotta work, huh?" If it ain't a gun, Cid got not clue.

"Huh." That's all Delilah really says. What does she know about ships? Never in a million years could she do any of the obviously numerous things it would take to get this thing flying again, but she trusts Ashlyn's judgment completely. "If she says she can do it, I believe her," she offers to Miya, looking back at Ashlyn. "Ya can do it, right? I mean...are ya gonna be doin' it by yerself, or jus' hirin' some guys ta help?"

"I seen worst." Bishop says as he moves to stand next to Ashlyn and places a hand on her shoulder, arm around her. "The Grace was 'bout that torn up. We get her patched, fix that strut up, some new paint... yeah."

"Won't take no time at all," Ashlyn agrees, leaning into Bishop. "Got all the parts we need. Free ta scavenge whatever we need ta get her flyin again. An' Major an' Phillipe'll help if we need it..." She trails off as she looks over at Torres' and Delilah's incredulous looks. "Y'all like it, right?" she asks a touch nervously.

Cid's looking a mound of crushed MULES when Ashlyn poses her question to them. Taken unawares he blinks back at Ash, scratches the back of his head, then glances at Del and Bishop. Finally, he just nods and tosses a smile, "Ah, yeah, it's, it looks like a winner-" eyes fall to Bishop "-right?"

"Well, you like it," Delilah offers with typical Dela logic and excitement. "I mean, Ash, ya gotta know mosta us don't know a darn thing 'bout ships. Yer the expert here. I gotta admit, it's hard ta look at it now an' see what it's gonna be. But yer good at that, an' we trust yer judgment, so I ain't worried 'bout nothin'!" She beams and starts to step forward. "Now, what I'm really worried 'bout is the kitchen. Can we go inside it? I'm dyin' ta see iffn' it's bigger or got more stuff. Oooh, d'ya think we can scrounge fer kitchen stuff here?" She begins to look at the junk surrounding them with new interest. Scavenging has become an acceptable activity suddenly, when there's potential cookery items to be found.

Bishop looks first at Ashlyn and nods, whispering something as he motions before looking back at the others. In front of them, a rusted up pitted up ship. "Honestly? We won't know for sure until we get onboard and check over the stabalizers, but it very well could be good as long as it holds up. It's not a cheap ship, it's a fixer-upper."

Whisper: 'It's our new home'

Cid claps his hands, then rubs them, saying, "Hey, well. I'm gonna be useful round here, and see 'bout findin' some water or some such. Shouldn't be too long." He turns and heads back the way they came. Mostly.

Ashlyn will take that response! Yay new ship, and all that jazz. The smile returns to the small captain as she leans against Bishop and looks over the derelict firefly again. "Then lets go inside," she says, giving Bishop a squeeze and a bright smile before letting him go slightly to take a step toward the ship. "Check the stabalisers an' the kitchen, but..." She pauses. "I think I'd rather buy all new kitchenware then scavenge it, Del, but if you trust me in the engine, I'll trust you in the kitchen an' won't argue none."

Delilah is wearing a sleeveless summer dress, having disregarded warnings about the sun. There's a sunhat on her head, however, and she's moving toward the same ship everyone else seems to be going to/staring at, a broken down, dirty Firefly. "You...are ya serious? I mean, all new stuff? We have the credits fer that? Ash!" Delilah squeals and begins jumping up and down. "I get ta buy all new stuff fer the kitchen an' I can get whatever I want even a stove that's gas an' not 'lectric an' a fridge that has the fancy water thing outside an' a coffee pot what can be set ta make coffee on it's on at a certain time an' maybe even some new pans an' a crockpot an' OH MY GOD I gotta tell my Pa, he'll be so jealous an' he can come visit an' help me choose things an' I swear to all that's holy Ashlyn soon-ta-be Bishop, iffn' yer kiddin' I might jus' fall down dead right now!" She pauses for a moment to breathe, peering at Ashlyn suspiciously, expecting a prank. "Really really?"

Bishop moves behind Ashlyn and glances towards Delilah smirking, "All new doesn't mean all.. great and grand. I think what Ash is saying we might be able to get 'like new' without rummaging through the junkyard for the stuff we eat off of."

A figure appears at the edge of the Barrens, glancing rather casually through the giant lots, apparently looking for a specific one. He wears a full flightsuit, sleeves rolled up and everything, walking slowly through the gravel, his boots already grey and brown from the dust he's kicked up. As he gets closer, he becomes recognizable to those who know him - Grey. Several months disappeared from the 'Verse since the Invictus was lost in space, and he managed to survive on the Ephemeral. It's been almost a year since he's been seen out in the Black, and most people shrugged him off as dead and moved on with their lives. But there he is, in flesh and blood, looking for... "Aha!" he exclaims, and scurries over to one of the piles, starting to rummage through it.

Ashlyn links hands with Bishop as she makes her way toward the firefly. "Fer the pots an' pans an' everthin' else gonna come inta direct contact with food, new," she says with a grin. "An' with the steal I got off this boat, as nice as ya want. We got the credits ta cover that. As fer the appliances... Well, ain't like new, I'll make it so. That work fer ya a'ight?" Weather it is or not, she seems set on vanishing inside their new home, and with all due apologies to Grey, is simply too caught up in the excitement to have seen him. Surely, though, she'll catch him next time.

So others can see it. Can see love and have hope.

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:45:09 GMT

((Ashlyn and some company have moved games, but I had to include this one from Serenity MUSH because, well, Ashlyn and Bishop are sickeningly adorable. ;) ))

An interesting sight to be sure, the concept perhaps rather frightening. Bishop is sitting in the cockpit of the ship, a large cup of coffee on the control console while he is rubbing his temples, swearing quietly in a nice Chinese way over something.

Ashlyn's head pokes into the cockpit in that way someone who's skulking about rather than taking a casual stroll has. One eyebrow raises questioningly at the swearing, though before inquiring she looks back down the hallway as if afraid someone might be following her. Not than anyone can be terribly stealthy on the metal decks of a space ship. Apperently satisfied she's not being stalked, she slips into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. "Somethin' on yer mind?" she asks quietly, giving the door a wary glance.

Bishop looks up with a start, blinking his eyes at Ashlyn before blushing some. "Well no. Well, yes but no at the same time." He pauses and clears his throat, still able to be surprised that he blushes at her. "Just thinkin' about the usual." Then again his eyes blink and he looks towards the door, "I didn't even hear ya come up here darlin'."

Ashlyn looks back at the door as he does, blushing as well now. "I'm... sneakin' around. Wanted ta catch you `fore Delilah caught /me/." Whatever that means, she leaves it at that for now, crossing over to him to reach out and draw his hand away from his temple. "'The usual' seems like it ain't all that pleasant if the swearin's any indication," she says with a soft smile as her own hand replaces his on his temple briefly.

Bishop laughs softly and shakes his head, "Naw, swearin' don't mean much. Just means I ain't got no plan." He explains softly biting his lip looking up at Ash so very fondly when she touches his temple. "I mean, I know we ai'nt huge on plans doll but.. don't mean I don't worry none. Especially with all the... mischief." After a moment he realizes what she said though and narrows his eyes, "Hidin' from Del?"

Ashlyn totally breezes past that last part. "Plans about the weddin'?" she asks, moving slightly closer and dropping into his lap lightly if he lets her. "Or plans about something else?"

How could he not let her? Bishop leans back in order for Ash to do just that, letting an arm slip around her. "The Weddin'? I ain't to worried about that. I mean honestly it's us... that's all that matters for that to me." He explains it softly. "But yeah, somethin' else, just... y'know, our future."

Ashlyn loops and arm around Bishop's neck and sets her cheek on his shoulder, closing her eyes (partially from the side of her face being crushed into him) and smiling. It's a moment before she says anything. If she has something else to say on the slinking about matter, she puts it by the wayside for now. "What about our future?" she asks, fidgeting until she's comfortable.

"Y'know." Bishop says softly, "Like we always talk about. Just... how I'm not built for worrying but I do." He gently pokes her side in a ticklish way. "And don't think you're off the hook from telling me why you're slinking about."

Ashlyn squeaks as she's poked right on the ticklish spot. "I will! I will!" she giggles, swatting at his hand and beginning to tip precariously until she gives up defending herself and struggles back into an upright position. "I just can't have ya worryin' yerself without askin', ya know. Since we've already covered that I can't stop ya from worryin'."

Bishop grins and nods his head, "I know. Same way I'll always worry over ya. Iunno, kinda feels like it's part of my duties now... not an unwelcome duty but, just that whole takin' care of part of things."

Ashlyn smiles and nuzzles her head against his shoulder. "Yer the only person I'll ever let worry o'er me," she states. But, ah, the stalling continues. "Is it any one thing exactly? That yer worried o'er?"

"Nope." Bishop responds softly then tilts his head towards Ash. "And you know... you can't play me as well as you used to doll."

Ashlyn leans back so she can look up at him with a mock hurt expression, her fingers resting on her collar in a perfect '/me??/' expression. "Well, you got the right ta worry, an' so do I," she says. "Only it ain't life per se. It's the weddin. Not the-!" she ads quickly, remembering how she'd worried him when she'd asked him to marry her back on Paquin. "Not the bein' married, just... the weddin'." She gives a suspicious look back at the closed door.

Bishop glances towards the door, then back towards Ashlyn. Once more his eyes drift towards the door and he speaks softly. "Ashlyn? It's your wedding. No one else's. The only person who gets to decide what goes on, is you and me. And whatever you decide I'll be ok with... mostly."

"Oh, so it's my weddin'? Not ours?" Ashlyn asks with a crooked grin as she leans back up to rest her head on his shoulder. "But see, that's the thing. Everone keeps sayin' it ain't fer anyone else. Even Delilah. That's why I wanted her ta plan it. But now she's sayin' things like we gotta let everone we invite bring guests an' that weddin's really aren't fer the people gettin' married as much as they are fer people's friends." She looks up at him as if she's trying to get at something significant.

Bishop reaches down and gently places a hand on Ashlyn's cheek. "Ashlyn? It's your wedding. It's what you want it to be." He smiles softly then, "And damnit, I will make sure you get what you want. And if anyone... at all... tries to tell you otherwise, you refer them to me. You simply say that is not what I want, and if they want to discuss it to come talk to me about it."

Ashlyn spends a moment looking up at him, her eyes twitching slightly as they search his face. "What would you say if I said I wanted to marry you right now?" she says softly. "Just you an' me an' someone ta sign papers an' make it all legal-like?"

"I would say if that is what you truly want more than anything, ok." Bishop pauses, "But... we only get married once Ashlyn, and while it's about you think of your family. Is this what you want, or are you saying this because you don't want what is being pushed on you so this is the easiest way to not confront the situation." Apparently Bishop woke up smart this morning as opposed to his usual stupid.

Ashlyn smirks. "I'm sayin' I ain't complicated," she replies softly. "An' this weddin' buisness is about the most complicated an' backwards procedure I ever did try ta undertake. An' that's sayin' somethin'." But this is very definatly not a yes or no response. In fact Ashlyn looks rather guilty as Bishop asks that very pointed question. "It really don't matter ta me, the bells and whistles. It seems ta matter more ta other people. And all that matters ta me is... /you./"

"The bells, whistles, all the stuff.. they don't mean nothin' to me either Ash. Just the who matters. So like I said, if it's what you want... but honestly? My mother told me this once and I kinda see her point. While it's about you and what you want, it also is so others can see it. Can see love and have hope. That and honestly? I dn't want your pa hunting me down for marrying you without your family being there."

Ashlyn smiles with a slight almost imperceptible sigh and seems to deflate a little, likely having worked up the courage to do this for at the very least the better part of the day. "Yer right," she says finally. "Not `bout my da huntin' you down," she clarifies with a smirk. "`Cause he'd never do that an' you know it. About the rest though. Right down ta the not confrontin' I guess." And there's the guilty look again. But when you're wrong, sometimes the only thing you can do is admit it. "But I hold to it this is a needlessly complicated endvour for something so simple."

Bishop smiles and gently takes Ashlyn's hand, kissing the back of it. "It's complicated, cause others aren't as simple as we are. This is for some folks, the highlight of their lives.... for us, Iunno, just feels like it's the next logical step is all."

"Oh, this ain't the highlight a yer life?" Ashlyn says teasingly, poking her tongue out at him and leaning back. "I see how I'm wanted. Nono. You can't take it back now. My heart is broken an' there's nothin' ta do fer it." She folds her arms over her chest, tilting a little as her support to stay balanced is once again gone, and tilting her chin away and closing her eyes in an exaggerated gesture of cartoonish indifference. The eye closest to him opens slightly as if daring him to in fact, do something to mend this mock heartbreak as she fights back a smile.

"Oh deary me, I have broken Ashlyn's heart. However shall I win back her affections?" Bishop sighs so over dramatically to prove he could only act in Daytime soaps.
Ashlyn's one half-opened eye regards Bishop appraisingly for a moment before reaching out, not just to poke him in the side in retaliation for the tickling, but to make a full-on tickling attack. Because escalation is the name of the game.

Tickling the person whose lap she is sitting on, that is a good game plan . Bishop squeals, and squirms, and reaches out for Ashlyn's wrists while laughing. "Missy. You best stop. I got work to finish and the longer you keep tickling me, the longer until I can meet you back in the bunk."

It's a brilliant game plan! At least it is when coming from the point of view of someone who thinks total chaos is a good time. Being one such person and possessing of one such game plan, Ashlyn slides right off of Bishop at the first squirm, landing on the floor with a combination of a loud 'WHAM!' and an abbreviated scream. "You weren't workin' when I came in," she says challengingly, sticking her tongue out at him again and seeming to take to her new location as she folds her arms behind her to protect the back of her head from the cold deck below her. "An' who says yer sleepin in the same bed as me tanight what with the *sniff!* breakin' a my heart?"

Bishop quirks an eyebrow as he grins down at Ashlyn, "Who said anythin' 'bout sleepin?" He tilts his head with a playful grin not elaborating further.

Ashlyn quirks an eyebrow back at Bishop as she looks up at him from the floor, before rolling back to her feet. "I'll leave ya to it, then," she says with a grin and no further argument as she scoots toward the door.

Sociopathic homicidal maniac

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 03:38:58 GMT

IC Time: Apr 25, 2522

[100.00 MHZ] You transmit, "Cap'n Grey? You about? It's me, Ash. I'm outside in the docks."

[100.00 MHZ] Grey says, "Hey, Ashlyn. I'm about. Did you wanna meet outside, or come relax in our Lounge? I've got a bottle out, if you wanna partake..."

[100.00 MHZ] You transmit, "Heh. I'll be right up, but I still ain't one fer drinkin'. See ya momentarily."

Redemption - Constellation Lounge - B Deck
Massive armored windows line the hull in this opulent room which housed the dining cafe for this one-time passenger liner. Remnants of its former glory can still be seen in places. Upon one wall is a fresco of some battle that can only be a depiction of some myth from Earth-that-Was. This room now serves as the kitchen and mess of the ship, with a large stainless steel set of appliances along one wall, and a dining table with comfortable chairs enough to accommodate the crew and guests. Against one corner is a decadent little bar, stocked on most major brands of alcohol. This room offers the most spectacular view of the space outside that is visible through those ceiling to floor windows, giving it the name of Constellation Lounge.

Grey
Grey stands at a regular height of 5'9", and looks to be around his early- or mid-twenties. A broad-shouldered but otherwise slender frame shows that he is a young man of lean, tone muscles instead of bulk, possessing lithe limbs with fluid movements that speak of the grace of a dedicated martial artist. His dark brown eyes are usually serious, but set with piercing intelligence and observation, and his dark brown hair is done in a short military-style flat-top cut which he's allowed to get a little messy. He is attractive, but not remarkable; handsome, but not stunning, and his lightly tanned skin tone and gentle facial features are of a mixture of Asian and French backgrounds.

He speaks with a low, smooth voice whether he's talking with the formal airs of his Coreworld upbringing or with the more relaxed language of a pirate pilot. His right earlobe is a bit of a mess as it was shot off during a confrontation; his nose has been shattered and has grown back a little crooked, but it adds to the character of his face if anything.

The man is wearing a Kung Fu Gi which is primarily a dark forest green with dark grey accents that looks to be quite old from the way they're frayed and faded. The top has a Mandarin collar and Mandarin style buttons as well, though the pants appear to be more Japanese-influenced, bearing resemblance to a Hakama in their design. A black cloth belt is wrapped tightly around his waist and knotted off, and a bandana of the same green color as the Gi adorns his forehead. Stitched into the Gi over his heart is a small Pa Kua icon, as well as "Green Dragon" in Chinese just under that. His hands have been dyed green to match with the outfit.

Grey sits in a comfortable seat, looking out the huge viewport with a glass of red wine cradled in his hand. The drink is out of place given his dress; and his dress is very different from his normal armored hulking. Which is a welcome change to most eyes. Light jazz plays through built-in speakers - not very high-tech, but they manage. And thus he awaits the arrival of the Chaos Theory's Captain.

Not really having much to compare in Grey's choice in clothing, whatever change he's undergone passes right by Ashlyn, as does any clashing with the wine. Nuances like that wizz gleefully over her head. She pokes her head in first before her body follows, her beaded hair rattling softly as she walks. "Cap'n Grey," she says as she enters. "Glad I managed ta catch up with ya. Dragon here fer yer meetin', too?" She nods back toward the third ship docked outside, a sharp clinking coming from the glass beads and a few small metal medallions.

Grey gets up on his feet and raises a hand in greeting. "Cap'n Ashlyn," he says with a smile. "No, I didn't contact the Dragon. Sink is of the persuasion that I am - and I quote - a sociopathic homicidal maniac." He gestures to an open bottle of wine, a decent vintage, though nothing special. "I know you said you're not in a drinking mood, but I'd be a bad host not to offer. Care for a glass? Come, come, sit. How are things aboard the Theory?"

Ashlyn cocks her head to one side as she sits across from him. "Just Ashlyn, or Ash. Whichever," she says. "Don't much go by cap'n less someone's insistin. An' ain't that I ain't in the mood, it's just as Bishop was sick fer my twenty first birthday. I ain't gonna go drinkin' without him." She grins as she settles back. "I dunno. If you was a... sociopathic homicidal maniac, like ta think that's the kinda thing I'd notice." She leans back in the chair. "But then again, I dunno ya that well, which begs the question, why us? You have dealin's with Sujiko in the past?"

Grey nods. "Ashlyn," he echoes. "Well, there's some that say I'm predisposed to cold-blooded murder and don't much respect the lives of others, and they got their reasons for sayin' so." He shrugs a shoulder, reclaiming his seat and sitting forward a bit, elbows on his knees. "As for why you... I can't say I've had many dealings with the Chaos Theory in the past, but there have been some. An' they've been good. Plus, your XO and I have some history. Mainly, the people and ships I contacted were ships I have some kind of ties with. I started with a list of all the ships I'm on friendly terms with, then eliminated most of the big ones. In fact, aside from the Redemption, the Tienlong is the only Capital Class ship in the initial offer. I don't want people intimidated into the thing, thinking they'll lose support from the larger powers if they decline; I also don't want this to become some stupid gentleman's club where people get together to show off their guns and ships. No, I want this to be real - and I still run with a Transport mentality. Why the Chaos Theory? Because you folks are reliable, protective of your own, and know what you're doing. I figure those are as good a platform for candidacy as any other."

Ashlyn smirks a little. "You got a history with Matty? It don't seem entirely pleasant, if ya don't mind me sayin'. But that ain't neither here nor there just yet." She shrugs rather easily where she sits. "In my book, you folk are a'ight. Ya took Del in when she needed ya, an' that you'd do that fer one a my best friends means a lot. If I ever get a chance ta pay ya back fer that, I will." She places her elbows on the table to lean forward a little. "But the Theory ain't got a lot ta offer in a alliance. Or whatever it is yer proposin'. We ain't rich. We ain't even comfortable. An' we ain't as well armed as we might be."

Grey chuckles and waves away Ashlyn's words. "Well, Matty and I served together on a ship before. I did almost kill her once, you know, like I do. But, that's long since done and gone. I like to consider us old friends, but hell knows how she feels on the matter." He smiles and leans back, getting a little more comfortable. That glass of red wine hasn't touched his lips at least since Ashlyn walked in. "As for having lots to offer - that isn't what I'm looking for. What /we're/ looking for, if I can use the inclusive. My aim is a network. A network of information, of fellow-minded independent ships. Hell knows it's getting harder and harder to find any /decent/ work out here in the Black for anyone who's unaffiliated with major corporations and hasn't signed on to being lapdogs of the wealthy and powerful."

Ashlyn looks out one of the massive windows at the nose of the Theory poking up into view and purses her lips. "Yeah, I had noticed that. Gets ta be the all a us are just scrapin' by. An' more an more I find us not in the very best a situations comin' from a stricktly survival standpoint." She shakes her head a little, looks like she wants to say more, but holds her tongue. "Yeah, free information... How free, though's the question?" She has the look of someone who's mind is wandering while they speak, looking out the window rather than at Grey. She turns back to him with a slight movement of her head which might be a shake or a nod. "I like the idea, not bein' on our own. But god knows we've gotten used ta it." She smirks a little again. "Old habits die hard."

"I know how that is," Grey agrees. "My Guardians are gonna have to learn not to draw weapons on every damn stranger they see, for one." He smiles faintly and finally takes another sip of the wine and seems to mull her words over quickly. "As free as is offered. I imagine that once requested, someone can choose to look into it, or not. But nobody has to jump up and offer bits of incriminating evidence for others to know." He licks his lips. "I'm not proposing an open-ship, happy-go-lucky kind of kindergarten alliance, where we all share and are happy, really. It's more of a dirty necessity, if you know what I mean. Life is shit out here, and we need to band together to better our chances of survival - and profit. Help each other out when it's needed. Be a good Samaritan once in a while. Not shoot each other. That kind of thing."

Ashlyn nods a little, her eyes traveling halfway back to the Theory before managing to find Grey again. "Yeah. Well. Yeah ta most a that," she says. "I agree, but I ain't the voice a my ship. So now comes the here an' there part." She grins slightly. "It ain't like our crews is at eachother's throats, but we ain't exactly pals, neither. Not like we was so long ago with the Grace `fore she broke down an' Aradia left on some great adventure. There's some on the crew'd take plenty readily ta this, but not all." She folds her hands in front of her and begins popping her knuckles one at a time. "So if you was hopin' I could give ya somethin' descisive taday, I can't, an' I'm sorry. I know yer talkin' ta ship captains, but before I say anythin' more, would ya mind seein' Matty o'er all this?"

Grey nods his understanding. "I understand, definitely. And I'd love to speak with Matty about it. She's probably got good ideas she'd like to throw into the mix, too." He smiles and finishes off his glass. "I don't think any ship really stands unified on anything - which is why the commencement stages of this alliance are going to be turbulent at best until we get everything squared away, I think. I don't pretend my ship is all buddy-buddy with everyone, either. Hell, I've had crewmen leave in a huff... And then come back home. They've had guns drawn on one another. But the most important thing is that an attempt is made. That we try to adapt, improvise, and overcome. That we better ourselves, our ships, and aspire to something greater." Just then, the sound of four young boys' laughter can be heard, and three young Chinese boys - the youngest maybe seven, the oldest no older than thirteen - burst into the Lounge, running and giggling. On their heels is an older Chinese boy, maybe fifteen, looking irked. The three boys hide behind Grey's chair, putting him between them and the older boy. The older boy casts a careful glance to Ashlyn, then looks down at the floor, and then to Grey.

Ashlyn opens her mouth to respond, but turns to the sound of the giggling. A smile spreads across her face as the kids appear and she waves slightly to the older boy, the smaller once all ducking in and out of view. "`Ey, there," she says to the herd of kids, looking rather delighted to see them. She turns to Grey. "New crew members a yers?" she asks jokingly, chuckling softly under her breath.

"Of a sort," Grey replies with a light chuckle, though there's a nervous tint to it. He eyes the kids, a half-smile still on his lips. "Lads, this here's Captain Ashlyn of the Chaos Theory, that ship right there," he says, pointing to the boat in question through the viewport. "Say hi."

The boys all respond in chorus with a greeting in Mandarin, though they revert to a heavily accented dialect of Cantonese for discussion amongst themselves. The gist of it seems to be that the oldest one is not happy with the other ones. "Mister Captain sir," he says to Grey, his English very heavily accented. "So sorry to say. Jia Meng, Rong Tou Jao, and Dian Teng play hiding-and-seek, they go into your room and knock over big armor..."

"That's fine, Zhen Mao," Grey says with a smile. "I don't mind." Turning back to Ashlyn, he explains: "These are the four... boys we found on the Ephemeral, when we boarded and cleared the ship." Leaning in closer, he whispers, "They were slaves. They survived the Reaver slaughter, only barely. Now we're trying to get them back to their homes, but only two of them can even remember where 'home' was..."

Ashlyn's eyes widen a little even as she's lowering her hand from the wave to the boys. "Slaves?" she says quietly, her eyes on Grey now rather than the boystrous antics of the children. "Is there anythin' we can do ta help?" she asks in a more natural volume. "Think that's somethin' I could speak fer the crew on without havin' ta meet them o'er it."

Grey, still leaning over to whisper quietly (under curious scrutiny of small eyes) murmurs, "I don't know. They seem to have relaxed quite a bit in the last few days. We've changed the ship enough since we took it over that they don't see shadows of their past everywhere here - but they're still jumpy, they cringe and hide at loud noises. I raise my hand to grab my cigarette from my lips, and they flinch like I'm gonna strike them. Those things, I imagine, will be hard to get out of them. Apart from trying to track down where the other two are from..." He points to Zhen Mao and Dian Teng, the two eldest. "I can't really think of anything. I know Rong Tou Jao and Jia Meng are from Yinyang, from what they've told me... I think Dian Teng is from Paquin. I can't be sure, though."

Zhen Mao looks sternly at the other boys, apparently their father-figure and leader. He speaks to them in harsh, halting Cantonese, and they sullenly unwind themselves from Grey's chair and plod off back toward the doorway. "I keep them in line," Zhen Mao says to Grey. "So sorry for that, Mister Captain sir." Grey only smiles in response, and says, "Gotta let them have their fun, Zhen Mao... You don't have to discipline them, you know." Zhen Mao only makes a noncommittal gesture and herds the other boys out, as though to have presented them thusly before Grey was shameful to him.

Ashlyn frowns as she watches them leave. "That's... horrible..." she says once they're gone. "Why somone'd..." She sighs and shakes her head. "They ain't appeared in no missin' person's remprts or nothin'? Their names don't bring up anythin' on the Cortex?" She doesn't sound terribly hopeful, probably sure that that avenue has already lead to a dead end.

Grey sighs slightly once the boys leave, and pours himself another glass of wine. "It's kind of a long story. I left 'em with the St. Augustine Orphanage on Persephone when I brought the Redemption to dock there. Turns out that the Shepherd in charge of the Orphanage doesn't abide by stories of Reavers, and believed the youngest boy, Jia Meng, to be possessed by evil spirits when he cried uncontrollably and began to scream without provocation - from memories, I imagine. He locked the boy up, and tried to exorcise him. They ran away. Found their way back here. Despite the terrors they've seen, they consider this 'home'. I imagine that the last crew who used this ship, Captain de Sousa's crew, employed them for their own purposes. At least, the oldest two. The younger two might've been under transport for sale, or for organ harvest..." He grimaces, a frown now knitting his brow. "I contacted the orphanage and told them I had the boys. No response there, yet. But the boys /did/ tell me that they heard 'angry voices' talking with the Shepherd before, and sounded like whoever the voices belonged to wanted to see the boys. Someone connected with the slave underground, or organ harvesters, or de Sousa's little band of pirates... who knows? But nothing on the Cortex, no. As far as I can gather, Jia Meng was an orphan already. The others, I'm not sure. Who knows how long ago they were taken by slavers?"

Ashlyn's face goes a little pale. "You think the slavers're tryin' ta get them back?" she whispers, casting her eyes over the doorway, possibly looking for tiny eavesdroppers. She looks to the Theory again. "Look, there's..." she stops. "Never mind. I got some things ta talk o'er with the crew." She pushes her chair back a little and stands, extending one hand toward Grey. "You gonna be here long?"

Grey takes in a long breath. "Not sure. Probably a few days at best, I think. Give the crew a bit of time to relax before taking off again. We've been on Persephone too long - the wanderlust is bubbling up, people are getting restless. It's Paquin next, then Ita Moon. Then Ezra, then Yinyang. Do you guys have a flightplan?" He halves the wine content of his glass in one gulp, and sets it down on the ledge. "Let me know how the talks with your crew go - and let Matty know to get ahold of me if she wants to meet up. As for the rest of the stuff... I'm sure we'll talk about it all. In due time." He smiles a strained sort of smile, and inclines his head. "Take care, now."

Ashlyn shakes her head a little. "No flightplan. If that's a profitable route might fly after y'all if we can't get tagether while yer still here." She steps back from the table. "We'll be in touch. You an' yers take care too," she says as she excuses herself.

She ain't out there listenin', is she?

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:21:12 GMT

IC Time: Apr 20, 2522
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I changed my mind. Suit up.

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:19:36 GMT

IC Time: Apr 12, 2522
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